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Olympic Park had it's beginnings about a decade ago when the NSW Government re-claimed industrial land with the aim of creating a new recreational centre for the state. The site was in the suburb of Homebush - located pretty much in the geographic centre of Sydney suburbia, on the sides of the Parramatta river. The new development progressed on three fronts. A large, modern "people's park", called Bicentennial Park was created to commemorate 200 years of white settlement in our country. A sports precinct was built, centre by centre, to create a coherent base for premier sport in the state. A light industrial centre, Australian Park, was also developed. Early
facilities at Homebush included the Aquatic, Gymnastic, and Athletics
Centres. Since the IOC leader with the seemingly dubious ethics
announced that Sydney was to host the 2000 Olympic Games work has
accelerated on the site. Some existing facilities have been expanded,
others, such as Stadium Australia and the Superdome have been built
after the announcement. |
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In parallel with the Olympic development the Sydney Showgrounds have been relocated to Olympic Park. The showgrounds are the venue for Sydney's annual Agricultural Show, an event which attracts families in the tens of thousands. The Showgrounds traditional home was Moore park (closer the Sydney's business centre), however this was leased to a commercial enterprise as an entertainment / amusement park. The showground facilities, including a stadium, will be used during the Olympics as part of the Olympic facility. Sydney's Olympics are touted as a green Olympics. Some have been critical of the choice of the site - since it was previously a highly polluted industrial site. In fact the act of recycling the site into a grand public facility - the sports centres, the stadiums, the showground, venues and Bicentennial Park, is indeed a reversal of the ecological abuse that beset the area in previous decades. |
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Of very dubious green value is the lighting (pictured above) used in the main street of Olympic Park which runs beside Stadium Australia and the Superdome. At the base of each electric blue lighting tower is a platform of solar panels. One assumes that each tower is self sufficient power wise, and does not draw power from the coal fired grid. However there is considerable pollution produced in the manufacture of the components used here. What is not visible are the batteries, almost certainly lead/acid, required to keep these powerful lights running into the night. There must be quite a few. Production/disposal of lead/acid batteries is bit of an environmental disaster. I have also been told by a company that manufactures solar panels that a panel like those used in these lighting towers take more energy to produce than the panel itself will produce in it's lifetime. Since the energy for production comes from coal in the first place, and considering the pollution element of the batteries required, why bother with solar powered light towers! These solar/battery systems are in their element in remote areas where it is impractical to run mains power to the device.
Enough drivel. Do you want to see the very interesting fountain located near the Superdome? Click here if you do.
