North Sydney Bears: $11m upgrade for club’s home ground in jeopardy after election results

A sporting ground upgrade that would propel a bid by the mighty Bears to re-enter the NRL is in jeopardy after results from the state election.

The upgrade would have boosted crowd capacity at the historic oval.

A campaign for the North Sydney Bears to one day re-enter the NRL has been dealt a fresh blow as results from the state election throw a major upgrade of the team’s home ground in jeopardy.

A $11m Coalition election pledge to redevelop North Sydney Oval is in doubt after Labor’s election win on Saturday.

The outgoing Coalition government had made a pre-election promise to bankroll significant upgrades to the oval, including increased spectator seating, improved playing surfaces, new food and beverage outlets, and player and officials’ rooms. Labor had not matched the promise in the lead-up to polling day, throwing doubt over whether the project will now proceed.

Labor’s candidate for North Shore, Godfrey Santer, said he put the funding proposal to party officials prior to election day but wasn’t provided a commitment about whether the party would support the upgrade.

“They couldn’t give me a reply because they weren’t in government but they promised they would sympathetically consider it once the new ministry is in place,” Mr Santer said.

The upgrade would have boosted capacity for North Sydney Oval.

Club officials from the Bears are now planning to meet with Labor representatives once the dust from election day settles to gauge the party’s support for the project.

Bears chairman Daniel Dickson said the upgrade would ensure the side has a viable home venue for its licence bid to the NRL as well as supporting up-and-coming local talent.

The Bears have a strong legion of loyal local fans.

“I’m as frustrated as anyone when I see these things pinned to the result of an election because it’s important for the community to have a commitment and certainty about the future of the oval,” he said. “We’re going through a process of trying to get the Bears back in the NRL and having an elite sporting venue is part of that.

“It is a heritage listed oval – if we don’t spend appropriate funds on upgrades, the facilities will fall out of functionality.

“There’s a reason why cricket, league and AFL wanted to keep North Sydney Oval as their ground – it’s just a glorious ground and all the codes are behind it.

“I know we’re not the biggest priority on day one for the new government but Chris Minns is a league supporter and it’s a project we’ll be wanting to pursue.”

The upgrade would support multiple sporting codes that use the oval.

The expanded seating proposed in the funding commitment would have lifted capacity from about 14,000 to 20,000 – supporting the Bears in its campaign to make a play for the NRL’s 18th licence.

The upgrades would have further cemented the oval as the home of women’s cricket in Australia and supported other codes using the oval including AFL, football and rugby union.

Uncertainty over the upgrades came after the former coalition federal government made a similar $6m pledge to bankroll upgrades in the lead up to the 2022 federal election. The election was won by Labor and the upgrades have not progressed.

Bears chairman Daniel Dickson.

Trent Zimmerman announced a $6 million upgrade in the lead up to the 2022 Federal Election.

Mr Dickson said he remained hopeful the new Labor state government would give the project consideration.

“The song we’re singing loudly is that the Bears do have a strong desire and advantage of being the 18th team and the feedback we’ve had is that the oval would need an upgrade,” he said.

“I understand there are things that are more important than the upgrade of sporting facilities – obviously health and infrastructure is number one – and there’s a limited bucket of cash that everyone needs to drink and feed from.

“Our position is that given the significance of the oval and its heritage it should be high enough for consideration from the bucket of cash available to sport.”

North Sydney Mayor Zoe Baker has also written to Mr Minns inviting him to tour of North Sydney Oval in a bid to seek Labor’s support to match the $11m funding commitment

Despite not having played in the NRL competition since 2002, the Bears have retained a loyal following with supporters remaining hopeful at the prospect their team will one day play again.

Other upgrades promised in the Coalition funding pledge included improvements to community and stakeholder spaces, public toilet amenities and broadcast media boxes.