Roger Cook and Rita Saffioti reveal never-before-seen images of $217.5m entertainment precinct at Burswood

These are the images the State Government hopes will win over critics of its controversial $217.5 million entertainment and sporting precinct at Burswood, which it says will be unlike anything the city has. After months of criticism, the Government has rebadged the precinct as Perth Park, highlighting the 28-hectare precinct will also be home to a new outdoor amphitheatre, a multi-storey function and sporting facility, bike tracks and a future hospitality venue. A summary of a long-awaited business case into the project shows $61 million in economic benefits each year. The project is now headed for a start date of early next year, with completion slated for 2027. “This precinct – unlike anything we have in WA – has something for everyone, and when complete, it will be a place all Western Australians can be proud of,” Premier Roger Cook told The Sunday Times. “Not only will Perth Park, right on our city’s doorstep, serve as our premier entertainment and sporting precinct, incorporating Optus Stadium, Crown Perth and Belmont Park Racecourse, it will provide our community with exciting new facilities.” Perth Park will include a 12,000-capacity outdoor amphitheatre for concerts and events, although initially it was proposed to be a 15,000 to 20,000 capacity facility. The re-think in size was after public feedback. The precinct will also feature a multi-use building with a rooftop terrace that can be used for functions — and two indoor courts for sports like basketball, badminton, rugby and tennis for athletes of all abilities. Part of the site, which also includes a landscaped parkland, has been set aside for a new hospitality venue which could be either a restaurant or a pub. The government will this week seek expressions of interest for private investors to invest and operate it. The Government is providing more detail about Supercars plans, with roads around the park — Victoria Park and Camfield drives and a re-aligned Roger Mackay Drive — will be closed for three days once a year for the event. It’s banking on international exposure to an estimated 455 million homes worldwide as strong exposure for the city and State. An internal track is also being built to complete the 3.4km motor sport street circuit, to feature 12 turns that will allow speeds of 240km/h. When not in use for the motor sports event, the internal track can be used by cyclists, as well as another 1km training track. The Government has put a $23 million construction price tag on the race track and bike facilities and has enlisted three-time V8 Supercar champion and seven-time winner of Australia’s most prestigious motor race, Bathurst 1000, Craig Lowndes to its cause. Lowndes, who will join the Premier on Sunday to officially launch Perth Park, said an annual street circuit race in Perth would attract significant interstate and overseas attention - bringing in big dollars to the WA capital. “Street circuits, like Adelaide, create huge interest in the city in which they are held,” he told The Sunday Times. “People come from far and wide — so accommodation, investing in the city will be massive.” The 28-hectare site set aside for the project is predominantly owned by the Government but 3.5 hectares is owned by Crown and it remains unclear exactly how it will be acquired. That land lot is a southern portion of what was a golf course, which former Premier Colin Barnett sold to Crown in 2013, a Government spokesperson said, adding that a condition of the deal was that development on that land had to start in 2020 and be completed by 2028. That has not happened. “At which point, under the terms struck at the time, the State Government could purchase the land back,” they said. “The State Government is in discussions with Crown to utilise approximately 3.5 hectares of land as part of Perth Park. “Those discussions have been positive, and the Government has been clear that it won’t be paying any money to bring the land back into public hands.” The Burswood redevelopment plans have come in for fresh criticism this week, led by Town of Victoria Park Mayor Karen Vernon, after the Environmental Protection Authority gave the project its tick of approval by deciding a full assessment was not required. Ms Vernon said locals felt robbed of their ability to have their say prior to the project becoming an election promise and Liberal leader Basil Zempilas has been against the race track. Nearby residents have been vocal about what they see as visual and aural pollution. Deputy Premier Rita Saffioti as late as Friday night took to social media to defend the project against what she said were “complete lies” from the Victoria Park council, and attacked its track record. Their cause was boosted earlier this year, as revealed by The Sunday Times, when Anthony Albanese’s main man in Perth, Federal MP Patrick Gorman, expressed vehement opposition to the project. But the Government has remained steadfast in its resolve to proceed with the project, saying a public consultation period had shown overwhelming positive feedback for the redevelopment. “Perth Park will be built for the community - shaped by local ideas, designed for families, and created to bring people together,” Ms Saffioti told The Sunday Times. “This will be an incredible precinct for WA families and a world-class destination for community, entertainment, culture, arts and sport. “Not only will this project reinvigorate the area, it will deliver long-term economic returns for WA.” The summary of the business case, prepared by consultancy firm ACIL Allen, states an expected $61m boost to the State economy every year for three decades. “All things being equal, this suggests that the project can be considered a worthy investment for the State Government on the quantifiable economic and social benefits and costs,” it states. The Government is making the images and project details available at a dedicated website: perthpark.wa.gov.au “This abandoned golf course site will become an activated parkland, the whole community can enjoy,” project steering committee chair Daniel Pastorelli said