Brookvale Oval funding probably won't be delivered until after election
Charis Chang
Manly Daily August 09,2013
THE Labor Party insists the $10 million promised for the upgrade of Brookvale Oval will be delivered but it is unclear when this will happen.
When Deputy Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced on Tuesday the money had been allocated to the project, he was careful not to call it an election commitment, because he said it was already included in the budget in May.
But when asked this week when the money would be delivered, a spokesman for Sports Minister Don Farrell said: "Funding will be provided as soon as the funding agreement is signed.
"The only risk to this funding is if Tony Abbott is elected PM on September 7 and chooses not to honour this agreement."
Mr Abbott has said that if the Coalition was elected, it would deliver the project, which has been its policy for six years. However, prior to Tuesday's announcement Mr Abbott had not yet promised to deliver any money.
It was also unclear when the funding agreement with Labor would be signed.
Manly Warringah Sea Eagles co-patron Kerry Sibraa said it he understood that nothing could be done during the election campaign.
The club will also need to find another $20 million to fund the construction of new covered stands as part of stage one of its redevelopment.
Mr Sibraa, a former Labor senator who is also part of the committee overseeing the upgrade, said the club would be working flat out to find the money.
"If we don't go ahead with the proposal, the Sea Eagles don't have any long term future at Brookvale Oval, it's as urgent as that," he said.
He said the next priority would be to look at creating a state trust to manage the oval.
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