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Kogarah Oval.. A political football

TruSaint

Referee
Messages
20,844
THE $35 million upgrade of the St George Illawarra Dragons home ground at Kogarah has become politically contentious just days before the federal election.

Liberal candidate for Barton, Nick Varvaris, raised the subject by questioning whether $23 million contributed to the Jubilee Oval project by the state Labor government could have been better spent redeveloping St George Hospital.


He said his Labor rival Steve McMahon was chief of staff to Sports Minister Kevin Greene when one of the grants was given.

Mr McMahon hit back, pointing to an item on Mr Varvaris's Facebook page which included glowing praise of the stadium upgrade and a photo (pictured above) at the ground with Dragons officials and players.

"He can't have it both ways," Mr McMahon said.
Mr Varvaris said as Kogarah mayor he chaired a steering committee which had overseen the work, but the council had not made any representations for funding.

"The question I raise is whether the priorities of the state government were right," he said.
Mr Varvaris raised the matter when responding to Labor's pitch that Labor was the only party promising any funding for the hospital.

He said hospitals were fundamentally a state government responsibility and Labor had failed to redevelop St George Hospital during its 14 years in office.

However, at the same time it had poured $23 million into upgrading the oval.

Mr Varvaris said two of the grants, for $7 million and $13 million, had been announced before state elections.
He acknowledged the federal coalition government had also provided $8 million to the stadium when John Howard, a noted Dragons supporters, was prime minister.


Mr Varvaris said all governments had to prioritise funding.
"It is great to have that facility there; but you tell me — is it getting utilised as much as it should?" he said.






http://www.theleader.com.au/story/1749740/dragons-oval-a-political-football/?cs=1507
 
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St_Jubbsy

Moderator
Staff member
Messages
20,239
So lets get this straight .... Varvaris doesn't think Jubilee should have been re-developed? He would prefer us to be playing at the SFS or Homebush?

What a fool.
 

TruSaint

Referee
Messages
20,844
So lets get this straight .... Varvaris doesn't think Jubilee should have been re-developed? He would prefer us to be playing at the SFS or Homebush?

What a fool.

When it suits, they change direction for a few votes.
Pathetic.
Nothing to do with St George hospital, i hope they get miilions, but to play this card just prior to an election is BS.
Oz Politics 101... " what do you want me say ?....
 

twinkletoes

Juniors
Messages
1,006
So lets get this straight .... Varvaris doesn't think Jubilee should have been re-developed? He would prefer us to be playing at the SFS or Homebush?

What a fool.

How many times year do we actually play there...we certainly don't train there regularly. He's got a point..it sits idle for a good part of the year
 

TruSaint

Referee
Messages
20,844
How many times year do we actually play there...we certainly don't train there regularly. He's got a point..it sits idle for a good part of the year

I underscored that line Twinkle, and yes it does.

It should be the premier venue in the region.

The article though is a highlight of political parties changing their priorities when it suits them.

Valid or not, to play the hospital card now is a low act. As in said, give the hospital all the money it needs, but do not use a footy venue as leverage when you were happy to endorse it.
 

jenninga

First Grade
Messages
8,545
I underscored that line Twinkle, and yes it does.

It should be the premier venue in the region.

The article though is a highlight of political parties changing their priorities when it suits them.

Valid or not, to play the hospital card now is a low act. As in said, give the hospital all the money it needs, but do not use a footy venue as leverage when you were happy to endorse it.

If the f#*kwits stopped putting cash in peoples pockets there would be enough money to upgrade hospitals ,stadiums and other essential infrastructure.
 
Messages
1,564
....see what happens when you miss the finals 2 years in a row ! ?

We lose our "we're and asset to the community" status.

This wouldn't be mentioned if we were playiing our first couple of semi-finals there.
 

Willow

Assistant Moderator
Messages
109,962
How many times year do we actually play there...we certainly don't train there regularly. He's got a point..it sits idle for a good part of the year
You've got a point too. We should play all our games at Kogarah.
 

Willow

Assistant Moderator
Messages
109,962
Perhaps Nick Varvaris should take it up with his hero John Howard.

The best election was when Howard and Latham were fighting over who supported Kogarah the most. I recall both were pledging Federal funding.
 

R2K

Bench
Messages
2,640
THE $35 million upgrade of the St George Illawarra Dragons home ground at Kogarah has become politically contentious just days before the federal election.

Liberal candidate for Barton, Nick Varvaris, raised the subject by questioning whether $23 million contributed to the Jubilee Oval project by the state Labor government could have been better spent redeveloping St George Hospital.


He said his Labor rival Steve McMahon was chief of staff to Sports Minister Kevin Greene when one of the grants was given.

Mr McMahon hit back, pointing to an item on Mr Varvaris's Facebook page which included glowing praise of the stadium upgrade and a photo (pictured above) at the ground with Dragons officials and players.

"He can't have it both ways," Mr McMahon said.
Mr Varvaris said as Kogarah mayor he chaired a steering committee which had overseen the work, but the council had not made any representations for funding.

"The question I raise is whether the priorities of the state government were right," he said.
Mr Varvaris raised the matter when responding to Labor's pitch that Labor was the only party promising any funding for the hospital.

He said hospitals were fundamentally a state government responsibility and Labor had failed to redevelop St George Hospital during its 14 years in office.

However, at the same time it had poured $23 million into upgrading the oval.

Mr Varvaris said two of the grants, for $7 million and $13 million, had been announced before state elections.
He acknowledged the federal coalition government had also provided $8 million to the stadium when John Howard, a noted Dragons supporters, was prime minister.


Mr Varvaris said all governments had to prioritise funding.
"It is great to have that facility there; but you tell me ? is it getting utilised as much as it should?" he said.






http://www.theleader.com.au/story/1749740/dragons-oval-a-political-football/?cs=1507

I don't see why this issue should be politically contentious and I'm not sure why Cr Varvaris questions the merit of the funding when he states on social media that he has steered the project. Assuming the Leader quoted him correctly, I believe the comments about Jubilee are unfortunate and not in the best interests of St.George District rugby league. However, I agree with Cr Varvaris that the ground isn't "getting utilised as much as it should."
 

Father Ted

First Grade
Messages
5,531
I don't see why this issue should be politically contentious and I'm not sure why Cr Varvaris questions the merit of the funding when he states on social media that he has steered the project. Assuming the Leader quoted him correctly, I believe the comments about Jubilee are unfortunate and not in the best interests of St.George District rugby league. However, I agree with Cr Varvaris that the ground isn't "getting utilised as much as it should."

Of course it may have a lot to do with the fact that we hammered his ARSE at the last council election with you out polling him and both main parties and the Leagues clubs candidate..
 
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Messages
1,564
to compare a Football Stadium to a Hospital to make the Argument that Money is better spent elsewhere is based on a false premise to begin with. It's like comparing Money spent on hospitals with that spent on roads or rail.

The big Picture Budget for capital works are set. There is the budget for medical facilities and the Budget for sports and community recreation facilities.

Compare and prioritise one project against another by all means, but do it within the same Budget.
 

FlameThrower

Bench
Messages
3,557
...writing is on the walls for some of these suburban grounds, Leichhardt is a dump, and Brrokvlale a swamp with no facilities. Too many clubs now have multiple grounds and this will be an argument by NRL to reduce and consolidate so many grounds. Kogarah I love, but only recently did they do basic upgrades...
 

saint.nick

Coach
Messages
19,401
I actually feel sorry for Brookvale and Leichardt. It seems weird that Kogarah Oval has benefited from these nice upgrades, yet Brookvale receives nothing, despite being used twice as much every year (+ 1, since a game always seems to be taken away from Kogarah for SCG or SFS).
 

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