Big step ahead for stadium: Labor gives tick of approval to AFL dream

Opposition leader Dean Winter on Monday, May 6, announced his party would support the building of a new stadium to help bolster the state's jobs economy.

"A stadium will mean thousands of jobs in construction, including hundreds of apprenticeships," Mr Winter said.

"Five thousand jobs have been lost since Jeremy Rockliff lost majority government. Building companies are going bust.

"Labor has changed. Under my leadership, the Labor Party stands for safe, secure, well-paid jobs.

"That's why Labor will be backing a new stadium."

The state's entry to the AFL was contingent on the building of a new 23,000-seat roofed stadium, initially proposed to be built at Macquarie Point.

Mr Winter said that Labor would not "stand in the way" of the current proposal, and encouraged the government to "not rule out" the Stadium 2.0 project.

He said that the stadium - at either location - needed to be delivered within the capped spend of $375 million.

"Labor's support doesn't mean the Premier will be let off the hook for the promises he has made - far from it," he said.

"He needs to deliver his capped spend of $375m, with private investors to cover any shortfall."

Labor support all-but guarantees parliamentary approval for the project.

Both major parties voting together ensures any legislation will pass the lower house, while, depending on one result in the weekend's elections, the same may soon be true in the upper house.

At worst, as long as MPs vote on party lines, the government may only need to secure the vote of one independent Legislative Councillor to secure approval for the stadium.

There do remain, however, other stumbling blocks for the project, including the prospect of cost blowouts and the recent heritage listing of a shed on the site.