NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has backed down on her $2 billion-plus plan to knock down and rebuild two of Sydney's main sporting stadiums.
"The government will be proceeding with a refurbishment option, which ensures we get a world class venue at a half a billion dollars less," she told reporters.
"That is a great outcome for the people of New South Wales."
The state government won't proceed with a plan to completely knock down ANZ Stadium at Homebush, instead choosing to refurbish the venue to make it rectangulary.
"It means we can do all those things we want to do...and having a better experience for our fans -- at half a billion dollar less than what it would have cost us, if we had done the full knockdown and rebuild," Premier Berejiklian said.
The coalition will, however, still demolish and rebuild the smaller Allianz Stadium at Moore Park.
"Allianz's business case is straightforward and unequivocal," Ms Berejiklian said.
"The only real option for that stadium is a knockdown and rebuild at a cost of around $730 million. And that is what the government is proceeding with."
The backflip comes just weeks after Opposition leader Luke Foley toured the state in a big red bus emblazoned with the slogan "schools and hospitals before stadiums".
A recent opinion poll suggested more than half of NSW voters opposed the government spending more than $2 billion to demolish and rebuild both ANZ and Allianz stadiums.
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