NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has denied that Allianz Stadium could be upgraded to meet safety standards for a mere $18 million - a fraction of the $730 million she wants to spend knocking it down and rebuilding it.
A report prepared for the SCG Trust in 2016 suggested the Moore Park venue could be fixed to address "current non-compliance" issues for $18.2 million.
But Ms Berejiklian said that wouldn't come close to ensuring the stadium was compliant.
"It's plain wrong," she told reporters in western Sydney on Thursday.
"It doesn't even touch the sides of the health and safety changes needed."
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
Treasurer Dominic Perrottet insisted the $18 million figure was a "complete fraud" and rejected claims it was a secret document. He argued it was discussed at an upper house inquiry in 2018.
"We have been very up front about our investment," he said alongside the premier.
"For $729 million it was in the state's best interest to rebuild that stadium."
Major demolition works have already begun on the stadium which, under the coalition government, will be bulldozed and replaced with a new one.
Labor leader Michael Daley has been pushing to stop the works until Saturday's election on the basis that if he wins power he'll refurbish the stadium at a lower cost.
But the opposition leader has been unable to say how much cheaper his plan would be - instead promising it will all be covered by a concessional loan to the SCG Trust.
"My costings are simple, the taxpayers will not pay a cent for that stadium," he told reporters on Thursday.
"If you're a voter, the only figure you need to keep in your head is zero."
