The new national stadium cleared its final planning review on Wednesday, ending three years of consultation and clearing the way for main construction of the 62,000-seat arena in south Meridale to begin next year.
The $1.6bn project — funded by a mix of state investment, football federation reserves and a naming-rights deal the federation says is “agreed in principle” — targets a 2031 opening, timed for Coravia’s joint bid with two Accord neighbours to host the 2032 Accord Championship.
The final consent hinged on transport: the review panel required a guaranteed rail service level of 24 trains an hour on event nights before releasing the last condition, a commitment the transport ministry signed last month as part of the Meridale southern line upgrade.
“A national team deserves a front door,” said federation president Dario Kessel. The current national ground, 58 years old and capped at 39,000 for safety reasons, will be retained by its athletics tenants.
Construction economists note the timing with a raised eyebrow: the stadium joins Coastal Shield and the Arden Pact rail works in an already-stretched contractor market. The federation insists its fixed-price main contract, to be awarded in the spring, insulates it — a claim, like the team it will house, to be tested at home and away.
