A roof over the MCG could cost $6 billion so a new stand is more likely

Putting a roof over the Melbourne Cricket Ground is estimated to cost as much as $6 billion, making the upgrade unlikely as the Victorian government explores ways to develop the hallowed stadium.

Premier Jacinta Allan appeared at the MCG on Wednesday to announce the state would partner with the Melbourne Cricket Club on a business case looking at redevelopments of the stadium.

A roof is almost certainly off the table because of its cost, but the business case process will put a focus on knocking down and rebuilding the Shane Warne Stand, a project estimated in 2022 to cost $1 billion, adding 5000 seats.

The high estimated cost was attributed to the complexity of the project as a retrofit.

The MCC is examining options to keep the MCG competitive with stadiums worldwide.

MCC chief executive Stuart Fox on Wednesday said the stand was the main priority for redeveloping, given its age compared with other upgraded parts of the stadium.

“There's at least 10 to 12 events a year where ticket demand is such that we could have a higher capacity,” he said.

“We’re the 11th-largest stadium in the world. We got knocked out by one stadium last year, but it’d be nice to bump back up into the top 10.

“We've seen it with the two preliminary finals, we probably could have sold it twice over.

Loading

“When a female called Taylor Swift was here, we probably should have just shut the ’G down for the rest of the year.”

Fox said the MCC had explored whether the Shane Warne Stand should be renovated or rebuilt, but quickly came to the conclusion it was likely to be knocked down, giving it a deeper footprint similar to the other stands.

Asked about putting a roof on the MCG, he said Victoria had a stadium with a roof and that rain affected events only three to four times a year.

“We’ve got to come up with a sensible plan, because this has to be funded and delivered at some stage into the future,” he said.

“If we over-scope it, you know, a roof might cost $5 billion or $6 billion alone to retrofit.”

Other upgrades to be explored include new stadium technology and dining experiences, and making it easier for events to set up and vacate the stadium.

Loading

Any redevelopments would be unlikely to happen until 2029, after the MCG has hosted World Cup events.

Click here to read article