PLANS for a new $1.45 million roof at the leaky Shellharbour City Stadium have been put on hold, after it was revealed the stadium could potentially be demolished to make way for the new Albion Park Rail bypass.
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The indoor stadium's user groups have experienced years of frustration with regular cancellations in wet weather.
A report tabled at last Tuesday night's Shellharbour council meeting recommended the council spend $1.45 million on a new roof.
However, Roads and Maritime Services recently confirmed that an existing corridor would be used for the proposed bypass.
That corridor skirts the Croom Regional Sporting Complex to connect with the East West Link, but RMS said the area near the sporting complex would be "further investigated" to ensure the corridor could incorporate "current road design standards".
According to RMS, the existing LEP corridor is based on a design speed standard of 100kmh, however, current design standards state that a design speed of 110kmh should be adopted.
To achieve the 110kmh speed, the bend around the complex would need to be larger or straightened. Making the bend larger would push the road outside the existing corridor and make the bypass, which is already three kilometres longer than the current route, longer still.
Straightening the bend would mean cutting through the sports complex, potentially taking out the cricket field and junior rugby league fields, the indoor stadium and netball courts which are being built, with further impact on several other facilities.
Shellharbour council's corporate policy director Lee Furness said the RMS review, which showed a potential impact on the sports complex, was released after the stadium roof report was prepared.
The council would meet with RMS this week to get a better understanding of the state government's plans, she said.
