NSW Government sports funding gap leaves Newcastle in ‘the abyss’: Tim Crakanthorp

Mr Crakanthorp was outside McDonald Jones Stadium on Tuesday with Shadow Minister for Sport, Lynda Voltz to discuss the lack of funding opportunities for Newcastle sports clubs from the $100 million Regional Sports Infrastructure Fund.

The issue is that Newcastle cannot access money through the Regional Sports Infrastructure Fund or the Greater Sydney Sports Facility Fund.

“The government has shown its absolute contempt for Newcastle by putting it in the abyss between metropolitan and regional - excluding us from all funding options,” he said.

“The government would rather spend $2.3 billion on stadiums in Sydney instead of providing Newcastle with basic local sporting infrastructure.”

Mr Crakanthorp said he had been approached by a number of sporting clubs, including representatives from Tennis NSW and the NSW Futsal Association, that wanted to be part of the expansion of the Broadmeadow sporting precinct announced last year.

He said interested parties would be quick to look for alternative locations if the masterplan failed to gain government funding soon.

“We want to see Newcastle be eligible for these sporting grants,“ he said.

Shadow Minster for Sport, Ms Voltz echoed this sentiment.

“With local sporting groups forced to look outside the Newcastle LGA to develop sporting infrastructure – locals within Newcastle will miss out.”