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A Sydney council has voted for a million dollar partnership with wealthy NRL club Parramatta Eels in a row that has split the council's Labor majority.
The City of Parramatta voted in December for the first year of a three-year deal that could have been worth as much as $2.4 million. This first year was worth $385,500.
The council's logo would be displayed on the back of the jersey for the NRL women's team in the first year. There was a proposal to have the logo on the men's jersey in the second and third years.
But the council voted on Monday night for a $1.1 million deal and chose to not have the council's logo on the men's jersey.
The deal included a women's sports scholarship in Western Sydney and funding for player clinics, holiday camps and game-day events in Parramatta's CBD.
It has drew criticism from councillors who believed council money should not be spent on the professional rugby league club.
Party division
City of Parramatta Mayor Pierre Esber, along with Labor Deputy Mayor Patricia Prociv and Labor councillor Cameron MacLean, voted against the deal in December and again Monday.
Greens councillor Phil Bradley and independent councillor Kellie Darley also voted against the proposal both times.
Meanwhile, three Labor councillors voted for the deal, along with four councillors from Our Local Community and two independents.
Mr Esber said spending council money on the partnership did not pass the pub test.
"Nobody loves rugby league more than I, but we can spend the money on toilet blocks, upgrading parks, upgrading playing fields," Mr Esber said.
"At the end of the day, you are there to supply roads, rates and rubbish.
"The Eels are a very successful rugby league club. They've got plenty of money. They don't need our money."
The deal faced a rescission motion from independent councillor Kellie Darley during Monday night's meeting.
However, Ms Darley withdrew the motion when other councillors voted to discuss the motion in a confidential session.
Ms Darley questioned the value of putting the council's brand on the similarly-named team.
She said most people who supported the Eels lived in the council area.
"So I think they already know who the council is," Ms Darley told ABC Radio Sydney.
"We've got a backlog of footpaths to fix. We've got playgrounds that are past their use-by date, stormwater pipes that need repairing.
"That's our core business. That's what people want to see us doing, not sponsoring the Eels."
Business benefits
Our Local Community councillor Michelle Garrad voted in favour of the partnership.
She said it would bring game day activations to Parramatta's CBD which would benefit local businesses.
"[Parramatta Eels] they're matching our investment in addition to doing additional things," Ms Garrard said.
"This not only promotes community activity but it also promotes our businesses.
"We're being smart and trying to use our children's sporting legends."
The partnership also drew criticism from the United Services Union, which sponsored ads on vehicles in Parramatta protesting the cost of the deal.
ABC Radio Sydney has approached Parramatta Eels for comment.
Editor's note 30/01/2024: This story as been amended from an earlier version in which it incorrectly stated the council had voted to halve the amount of money it would spend on the deal.
Labor councillors voted against their party's mayor and deputy mayor to get a million-dollar partnership with a NRL club across the line.
www.abc.net.au
