NSW budget: New suburban football grounds to be built
Funding for new local football stadiums including at Kogarah will be a key part of the state budget. But a beloved ground has been left out. Poll: What stadium should be built first?
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A suburban football grounds plan to build boutique stadiums in the suburbs is shaping as a key plank of the NSW budget.
The Daily Telegraph can reveal the government will announce funding for planning a local stadium at Kogarah, and will foreshadow intention to push ahead with stadiums at Brookvale, Liverpool and Penrith, in this month’s state budget as part of its plan to drive jobs and growth in the economy through fast construction opportunities.
The November 17 state budget is expected to include planning funding for the Kogarah stadium, with an expectation funding will be increased in the following financial year, alongside a vision for the full suite of suburban stadiums.
The news has been welcomed by the Dragons, coming after a dismal 2020 season.
“Surely we would welcome the plans – anything that upgrades a stadium and makes it more comfortable and accessible for fans and corporate partners could do nothing but benefit your club,” chief executive Ryan Webb said. “We’re excited if the plans come to fruition.
“Because there are other stadiums popping up, and there are so many other options now for people to spend their money, the more comfortable you can make it and the better quality of experience you can give them, the better it is, ultimately for them and the club.”
The stadiums, expected to be in the 18,000 to 20,000 seat capacity range, would not only drive suburban-based sport and be used by major clubs, but they would also be made available for use for community projects such as fairs, markets, concerts or Christmas carols.
One plan under consideration is to build one boutique stadium per year, although it is understood the NRL is keen for any program to be accelerated to capitalise on the need to kickstart the state’s economy.
The government is planning the budget commitments with the knowledge that there will be three budgets in quick succession - this year’s budget on November 17, a half-year update in February and then the 21/22 budget in June.
Local councils have presented a plan to the government that costs the boutique stadium for Kogarah at approximately $200m.
The decision comes months after the government’s razor gang decided to walk away from the planned ANZ stadium rebuild on the back of the economic crisis of COVID 19.
It is understood that following this, the NRL continued to sell the suburban grounds proposal to the government.
Senior government figures also supported the suburban grounds concept, arguing that smaller projects which were screwdriver-ready and could be delivered more quickly also met the criteria of boosting the COVID-riddled economy.
They described the proposals as akin to “mini Bankwest stadiums”, referencing the highly popular 30,000 seat stadium opened in Parramatta in 2019.
But Inner West Council Mayor Darcy Byrne says Inner West residents have been snubbed by the Kogarah funding plans.
Cr Byrne said Leichhardt Oval has been “left out in the cold, once again,” accusing the government of directing funding to “favoured electorates”.
“Council has continued to invest in Leichhardt Oval, pouring several million dollars into improving the ground. But we can’t do it all on our own,” he said.
“While it is a superb sporting destination, there is a lot more that needs to be done to secure the future of the ground as a home of Wests Tigers, suburban rugby league and as well as soccer and rugby union.”
He also said money the council missed out on from the contentious Stronger Communities Fund grant program could have helped save Leichhardt Oval.
Panthers Group CEO Brian Fletcher said on Monday that any stadium improvements in Penrith will be “money well spent”.
“Penrith is the rugby league area of western Sydney. We work with 10,000 juniors a year. The population of Penrith at present is 200,000 but expecting that to be 360,000 by 2040 so it will be money well spent,” he said.
“Our stadium facilities are okay but, in the modern day, for us to encourage fans to go to the football, we need better facilities and it (a new stadium) would be absolutely fantastic for the Penrith district.”
In July, when announcing the ANZ rebuild was scrapped, Treasurer Dominic Perrottet said: “smaller could trump bigger in a COVID world”.
Under the plan, Kogarah Oval would be shared by the Dragons, the Sharks and possibly Sydney FC.
Brookvale could be shared by the Manly Sea Eagles, and rugby union clubs the Manly Marlins and Warringah Rats.
Liverpool would be used by the Tigers and the Bulldogs.
