Adelaide Oval redevelopment to go ahead despite World Cup bid loss

Australia's failed World Cup bid is tragic news for football fans but will have no impact on plans to turn Adelaide Oval into a multi-sports stadium, the South Australian Government says.

FIFA's farcical decision last Thursday to hand the 2022 tournament to Qatar in preference to Australia dashed hopes of up to $250 million being sent to Adelaide to aid the build.

Adelaide Oval was to be overhauled to allow hosting of group state and finals matches in 2022.

Infrastructure Minister Pat Conlon said the Government had based its plans for an Oval overhaul on the contingency of Australia's World Cup bid failing.

Mr Conlon said he still intended to meet with Federal Government officials, including Sports Minister Mark Arbib, in a bid to secure money to aid the non-World Cup upgrade.

 "It's very disappointing for soccer that we didn't win the World Cup bid, but it doesn't mean anything to what we're doing at the Oval," he said.

"We took a decision some time ago to proceed as if we weren't going to win the World Cup bid. We thought that was the prudent thing to do.

"We've worked on the basis that the $450 million we've got for construction is probably about the mark."

Mr Conlon said funding of the associated carpark and approvals from the Adelaide City Council, SACA and SANFL still needed to be finalised before construction begins.

"We don't rule out still approaching the Commonwealth to contribute to this job," he said.

"It's a very good job for South Australia. It unlocks the development of the Riverside precinct.

"I'm not talking in terms of hundreds of millions.

"(But) the Commonwealth was never going to look at plan B until there was a decision on the soccer.

"I'm not saying we can guarantee anything from them."

The Government has committed to a 2014 start date for AFL matches at the Oval.