Sydney one step closer to delivering Australia's largest event facilities
31 August 2012
Two groups of companies, comprising leading event organisers,
property experts, builders and financiers have submitted bids to
design, plan, build and operate Australia's largest event
facilities in Sydney's Darling Harbour.
Infrastructure NSW, which is delivering the Sydney International
Convention, Exhibition and Entertainment Precinct, will now conduct
a rigourous evaluation process to recommend a successful proponent
to the NSW Government, scheduled for December 2012.
The two proponents are:
- Destination Sydney including Capella Capital,
Lend Lease, AEG Ogden and Spotless.
- VeNuSW including Plenary Group, Brookfield
Multiplex and Sydney Place Management.
Infrastructure NSW CEO Paul Broad said the quality of the
bidding companies reflected strong private sector interest in one
of Sydney's largest infrastructure projects, representing a
signficant investment in the NSW economy and creating about 3,500
jobs.
"The new facilities will be unrivalled, creating the largest
exhibition space in Australia at 40,000 square metres, allowing
Sydney to tackle the Asia-Pacific market by providing capacity and
flexibility for more than one 'mega' conference to be held at one
time," Mr Broad said.
"We are also looking for the proponents to create a red carpet,
premium entertainment facility, suitable for both Australian and
international events."
The project will mean a complete facelift for 20 hectares around
Sydney's iconic Darling Harbour and the development of a new
residential, hotel and commercial area of Sydney, creating
significant value to the taxpayer.
While Darling Harbour will remain an active and vibrant area,
the existing convention, exhibition and entertainment centres will
be closed from December 2013 to December 2016 when the new
world-class facilities will be opened. This followed strong
representations from industry which called for the shortest
possible construction period.
Infrastructure NSW is developing a Sydney-wide solution,
including the potential for an interim facility, to ensure NSW's
events industry stays number one during construction of the new
precinct.
The interim solution will also see Sydney Olympic Park, Moore
Park, Sydney's hotels, the Australian Technology Park, the Hordern
Pavilion and Allphones Arena, playing an expanded role in hosting
conferences, some exhibitions and entertainment.
Visit the Sydney International Convention, Exhibition and
Entertainment Precinct (SICEEP) website at www.siceep.com.