Sydney Football Stadium: New design unveiled

The final design for the new Sydney Football stadium has been unveiled, with the controversial demolition going ahead in January. 

Sydney based firm Cox Architects was successful in designing the $729 million new stadium, which will have up to 45,000 seats and open in 2022.

The roof will be made of lightweight material and cover every seat in the stadium, with the bowl of the venue created to keep light and sound inside. 

Huge LED lighting panels will be installed which can light up in the home team's colours, and landscaping will be a feature in the upper tiers.

There will be stand-up bars, more bathrooms and greatly improved change rooms to host multiple men and women's teams. 

“Sydney Football Stadium is a stadium for fans that will offer an experience like no other," NSW Sports Minister Stuart Ayres said.

“It’s nothing short of world class.”

In a fitting twist, Cox Architects is the same firm that designed the existing Sydney Football Stadium in 1985. 

There are still some questions about how the public will access the new stadium for big events, even with a light rail stop at Moore Park. 

Minister Ayres wants people to walk from Central Station, saying it's about the same distance from Flinders Street Station o the Melbourne Cricket Ground. 

"I want them to be bale to walk that 1.5km to be part of the experience. I want them to stop at a local restaurant stop, at a local bar." Mr Ayres said. 

The Sydney Cricket Ground Trust is pushing for a Metro stop at Moore Park, when the underground railway line from the CBD to Parramatta is built. 

"If the route can be configured in such a way that we can have a stop at Moore Park that would be terrific." SCG Trust Chair Tony Shepherd said. 

The sporting codes have thrown their weight behind the rebuild, citing that Sydney is lagging behind the rest of Australia and the world when it comes to the quality of venues. 

"There's no doubt this investment is long overdue." Australian Rugby Union CEO Raelene Castle said. 

The NSW Government's stadia policy has been controversial, with public outcry over what's perceived as a waste of taxpayer money. 

Opposition Leader Luke Foley has opposed the knock down and rebuild at Moore Park. Mr Foley says spending more than $2 billion on new sporting stadiums, over schools and hospitals, shows the government has the wrong priorities.