The NSW government’s promised $800 million refurbishments to ANZ Stadium have been canned, as the government fights to balance the budget on the way out of COVID-19.

Despite being a vocal advocate for infrastructure development, Minister for Jobs, Investment, Tourism and Western Sydney Stuart Ayres told Mark Levy the stadium needed to be sacrificed.

The millions saved will instead be invested in projects that are smaller, faster and more easily deliverable.

“This environment, Mark, means we’ve got to make tough calls.

“If I’ve got to rock up to parliament, and make an argument about why I want to freeze a nurse’s wage, or a police officer’s wage, or a firefighter’s wage – because that’s what I believe is in the best interests of the state right now – they’ve got to know that we’re prepared to sacrifice something that was important to us.”

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