‘I don't think you'd ever change it': Inside the famous Sydney oval that's slowly falling apart

Sydney Morning Herald

2 days ago

He thought the old-school oval 'might struggle a little bit to be an NRL venue, to be honest'.
'We might get one game, and I think that might be a bit more of a nostalgic thing rather than anything else. I don't think we're going to see a whole host of games played here, to be honest.
'We certainly haven't had those discussions. If they did, we would do what we can.'
Regardless of whether the ground hosts the spectacle of an NRL match, the council is acutely aware the existing facilities need extensive repairs and upgrades to cater for the male and female cricket, soccer, rugby and rugby league teams who regularly play at the oval – often to sell-out crowds.
Parsons said the change rooms were outdated, paint was peeling, brickwork was crumbling, and the shabby metal roofs on the old grandstands let in water, which has caused serious structural damage.
The council had planned to complete $7.8 million of critical infrastructure renewal works on the oval in the 2026-27 financial year, followed by $12.7 million for similar repairs in 2027-28. There were also plans to install much-needed gender-neutral change rooms in the next couple of years.
Those projects got the chop when the council – which is struggling financially in part due to the ballooning $122 million cost of its disastrous Olympic pool rebuild – was knocked back for its bid to lift rates by 87 per cent over two years, an increase intended to add about $25 million to its coffers.
'We could spend $12 million on it, and you wouldn't even know we'd been here,' Parsons said.
'Every time I've got $20 to put a coat of paint on something, we do it. But in a couple of years time we'll be in [run-down] Leichhardt Oval territory, we'll have to close stands and things like that. '
Despite the oval's worn condition, Parsons said sporting clubs loved the ground for its history and nostalgia, due in large part to its picket fence, grandstands, manual scoreboard and the Moreton Bay fig. He said the council recently asked the clubs for their 'warts and all feedback' on the ground.
Among their gripes were the oval's lacklustre food and beverage options – often a cold sausage roll and a warm beer – and the evident wear and tear. The clubs also expressed an appetite for technology upgrades, and bucket seats to replace the wooden benches to make ticket sales easier.
'The positive side was everyone loves it – the players, officials, clubs, patrons – because it's this mini-Sydney Cricket Ground, the playing surface is second to none, and the atmosphere is great.
'We cannot get any more content on that surface. We just need some capital investment.'
Parsons expected the council would apply for a rate rise next year. Meantime, staff would seek to boost revenue by hosting more events, and possibly using part of the complex for a community gym or a cafe featuring oval memorabilia. The council has already started to get food trucks in for match days. And it also raised the prospect of selling the sponsorship and naming rights for the ground.
'We'll work hard on our business plan and squirrel away our pennies and do things when we can.'
Baker said the council was eager to work with sporting codes on a masterplan for the facility.
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'Any upgrades have to respect the built heritage and hold onto the spirit of what makes the ground so special, which is the intimacy,' Baker said.
Parsons agreed: 'I don't think you'll ever rebuild North Sydney Oval – and this is where I think the NRL may have some issues with it – as a CommBank or Allianz stadium.
'I think it will always be what it is: a quaint, old, regional sort of sporting facility. The community seems quite happy with that. It's an amazing place.'