There was a piece of 9 News early edition with the Mayor of Leichhardt asking for a slice of the money that was originally earmarked for BlueBet to redevelop the ground. Couldn't find the clip online but did find this article.
Leichhardt Oval: Football Australia gives verdict on venue as mayor calls for funding
Leichhardt Oval could close for good if more federal and state government funding isn’t pledged, while Australia’s soccer body delivered its own verdict on the venue.
Leichhardt Oval could close to elite sport if more government funding isn’t pledged as Football Australia gave its own mixed verdict on the state of the beloved ground.
The dilapidated landmark, home to the Wests Tigers, hosted an emphatic win for the joint-venture side when they thumped North Queensland 66-18 before a packed ground on Friday, prompting Inner West Mayor and lifelong Tiger Darcy Byrne to re-amplify calls for more government funding.
“If the ground doesn’t receive funding soon it will close to professional sport for good,” Mr Byrne said.
The stadium, which remains in a sub-par state with dated amenities, may close to professional sport if critical upgrades could not be funded.
“It won’t be safe for professional sport and crowds,
and we saw last year the collapse of infrastructure – it was lucky no one was injured,” Mr Byrne said.
“That will happen again without proper investment.”
He also revealed a venue masterplan was nearing completion, which would – the mayor hoped – unify all levels of government into funding the ground.
“We’ll be submitting it to the state and federal governments, asking them to partner with us in funding the ground’s future,” the mayor said.
Mr Byrne revealed the masterplan – which is expected to be submitted to the governments in June – would include multiple proposals, each requiring varying degrees of funding.
“It will explore different options: what could be done with $10m, $20m and so on,” he said.
By contrast, Penrith’s stadium, BlueBet, which hosts less games across different codes, is set to receive about $300m from the state government.
“The money given to Panthers Stadium – we could fix Leichhardt for a fraction of the cost,” he said.
Mr Byrne also ruled out any move to seek private funding to upgrade the venue, saying it was “not council’s focus”.
“There's not a single suburban ground in Australia that has ever been successfully renovated without a contribution from state and federal governments,” he said.
The oval will also be a training base for visiting teams at July’s FIFA Women’s World Cup and while Football Australia said it was adequate training it raised concerns about its elite-sport longevity.
“For elite and international football, the facilities are adequate for ad hoc training sessions but aren’t something that could be used in its current form on an ongoing basis, particularly with the venue being used by multiple sports, which impacts the quality of the playing surface,” a Football Australia spokeswoman said.
“The facility is not comparable to world-leading football-specific training bases.”
While the spokeswoman said Football Australia’s preference for soccer-focused government funding was for “football-specific high-performance centres”, it welcomed investment in venues which hosted domestic soccer,such as Leichhardt.
“With very few options available to Football Australia and our national teams when they train and play in Sydney, Leichhardt Oval will remain an option in lieu of having our own ‘home of football’, which we would like the government to prioritise,” she said.
The council owns and operates the venue, spending millions on turf upkeep and a $1m tranche in the off-season for better women’s amenities, but does not have the many more millions for a full upgrade.
This publication reported in 2022 how a toilet block lay derelict at one corner of the ground, ancient equipment was still being used and there were no female-friendly changing facilities.
Previously, female teams had to change in rooms with urinals, or even a tent.
New NSW Sports Minister Steve Kamper said he was looking forward to seeing the proposals.
“We understand that the Inner West Council are developing a masterplan for Leichhardt Oval and intend to present an official submission to the NSW Government,” the minister said.
“We look forward to receiving the submission from Inner West Council.”
Wests Tigers were approached for comment.
More to come.
Source:
https://www.heraldsun.com.au/subscr...ic-groupa-test-noscore&V21spcbehaviour=append
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