Premier Gladys Berejiklian's claim that the $2 billion cost of knocking down and rebuilding two Sydney sports stadiums represents 1 per cent of spending on health and education is actually more like 17 per cent, prompting claims the government is using "fantasy figures"
In a bid to deflect criticism of the $2 billion plan to raze and rebuild ANZ stadium at Homebush Bay and Allianz stadium at Moore Park, Ms Berejiklian and Sports Minister Stuart Ayres have stated the government will spend about $200 billion on health and education between 2018 and 2022.
However, this figure represents mostly recurrent expenditure on health and education, including the wages of nurses and teachers.
When capital spending is isolated to provide a like-for-like comparison, the figure for health and education works is $11.9 billion.
This means that the $2 billion to rebuild Allianz and ANZ represents 16.8 per cent of the health and education capital budget across the forward estimates to 2020-21.
When factoring in an extra year of capital expenditure based on the four-year average of $3 billion to provide like-for-like comparison to 2022, the figure climbs to $14.9 billion.
This means the $2 billion stadium spend represents 13.4 per cent of forecast capital spending on health and education over the period.
Mr Ayres told Fairfax Media: "Stadiums don't require ongoing recurrent expenditure.
"Every new hospital and school requires the NSW government to provide ongoing funding for staff and resources to make those facilities function.
"If you don't compare stadium investment with both recurrent and capital expenditure, then you are comparing an operational stadium with an empty school or hospital."
But shadow treasurer Ryan Park accused Ms Berejiklian and Mr Ayres of "relying on fantasy figures to shore up their flimsy argument".
"To include the salaries of teachers and nurses to inflate their figures is frankly pathetic and shows how desperate they are to prop up a decision they know is toxic," he said.
"The real figure is that for every six dollars this government spends on schools and hospitals another dollar is going to stadiums. That's a ratio they are desperate to keep hidden from the public because it will only inflame public opinion against them.
"The Premier will forever be known as the Premier who knowingly stole from our hospitals and schools to give to stadiums."
Ms Berejiklian has also claimed Allianz and ANZ stadiums together produce annual "revenue" of $1 billion.
She said this meant that "over two years we're paying back their cost".
Asked to provide the research underpinning this claim, Mr Ayres did not directly address the question.
"Revenue generated from facilities such as Parramatta and ANZ stadiums helps subsidise vitally important regional infrastructure such as Newcastle and Wollongong stadiums," he said.
"Stadiums generate $1 billion in economic activity for the state every year. If major events leave NSW due to content owners not hiring NSW stadiums, that figure falls."
Overall the government has pledged to spend $2.5 billion knocking down and rebuilding ANZ, Allianz and Parramatta stadiums.
