Kingscliff sport boosted by $3.2 million grant

Major boost for Kingscliff sporting grounds as government ramps bid to secure Tweed electorate

ON THE BALL: Member for Tweed Geoff Provest, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and NSW Deputy Premier John Barilaro announced a $3.2 million upgrade of the facilities at Walter Peate Reserve. Picture: Scott Davis

SPORTING clubs at the Walter Peate Reserve are going to benefit from a major funding boost announced by the NSW government.

Premier Gladys Berejiklian, flanked by deputy premier John Barilaro and Tweed MP Geoff Provest, was at the Kingscliff sports grounds to announce the $3.2 million grant.

It is understood the grant will go towards upgrading the facilities, which will benefit multiple junior sporting clubs.

The premier said this grant was showing a sign of faith in the region's junior sporting scene, believing Kingscliff had the capacity to become a regional sporting hub.

"It is so important to invest because the children are the future and we want to make sure they have the opportunity for an active and healthy lifestyle,” Ms Berejiklian said.

"We also want to make sure that places like Kingscliff attract regional sporting events and when you have all of these fields ... this will be a good spot to attract sporting events and community events as well.

"It is a win-win for the community and having local infrastructure for sporting activity is really critical.”

Labor, especially in the northern seats of Tweed and Lismore, have been critical of the government for being 'Sydney-centric'.

Tweed MP Craig Elliot has repeatedly accused the government of having its priorities wrong by investing $2.2 billion into a pair of stadiums in the state capital.

However the deputy premier said the government was just as focused on building regional infrastructure as it was for the state's metropolitan areas.

"This (funding) makes a real difference - often the identity or the character of a community is forged on the footy field or the netball court and that's why we actually invest in regional sports infrastructure,” Mr Barilaro said.

"You may flick on the TV and hear about stadiums in Sydney - that's important for Sydney for driving tourism and for jobs but in the regions we are not missing out.”

Mr Barilaro highlighted the $1.3 billion the government has pledged to go into regional roads and bridges, while emphasising that being able to invest required sound economic management.

"To be able to unlock these kinds of funds in the regions is something I am really proud of and you can only do it when you have a government who has its books in the black, no debt and the ability to respond to a need,” he said.