PARRAMATTA EELS SECURES FUNDING FOR AUSTRALIA’S LARGEST COMMUNITY RUGBY LEAGUE FACILITY
The Parramatta Eels today announced that it has secured a $15 million funding commitment from the Federal Government to commence building the largest Community Rugby League facility in Australia.
The proposed $40 million complex in Sydney’s north-west will be a community based facility that will include a minimum four international rugby league fields, an elite standard match venue and a 5000 square metre state of the art Community Facility that will also house a High Performance Centre for the Parramatta Eels.
This historic development will now be supported by $15 million from the Federal Government with the Parramatta Eels and The Hills Shire Council currently finalising designs/proposal for the first stage of the project.The Federal Member for Mitchell, Alex Hawke said the Federal funding was a fantastic investment in our local sporting community from the Morrison Government. “Northwest Sydney has been one of Australia’s fastest growth corridors for decades now and this Federal investment in more playing fields, better sports facilities is vitally needed.
Not only will the Eels programs be right here in Kellyville, but touch teams, women’s team, young people and disability teams. This is a huge win for the Hills District and Western Sydney” Mr Hawke said.
Mr Hawke also acknowledged that the funding in the recent Federal Budget is not contingent upon the outcome of the upcoming Federal election. This important community development has bipartisan support, with the Federal opposition also providing its support for the project.
Mayor of The Hills Shire, Dr Michelle Byrne said, “Council have been working collaboratively with the Parramatta Eels on the vision for a Community and a High Performance Centre that will provide opportunities for our residents to play sport at the highest levels and ensure grassroots rugby league receives the highest standard facilities.
“We look forward to finalising the designs of the project together and working with all the relevant parties in delivering this great vision,” Mayor Byrne added.
The Federal Member for Parramatta, Julie Owens said, “This will be a great project for the whole community, with better facilities for kids playing footy, and we congratulate the club.”
The State Member for Baulkham Hills, David Elliott said, “I’m supportive of the proposal and we are committed to working with the Club to provide this first class facility.”
Parramatta Eels Club CEO, Bernie Gurr thanked the Federal Government for its strong support of Rugby League and said the facility would focus strongly on driving engagement with the Parramatta Eels and the wider community across the Hills District and Western Sydney.
“Today’s announcement is a landmark day for our Club. This project will provide a world-class sporting facility that will enable our NRL team and youth academy programs to be housed in one state of the art venue and enhance our capacity to give back to the community.
“Through our discussions with The Hills Shire Council it quickly became clear that we had an opportunity to build something really special, a place that could cater to the changing needs of one of the fast-growing regions in Australia and increase participation in Rugby League and Touch Football from grassroots all the way up to NRL and NRLW level,” said Mr Gurr.
The new facility will support various community groups such as Wheelchair Rugby League, Try Time and Physical Disability Rugby League, as well as NRL School to Work program which aims to assist Indigenous students with their education and employment outcomes. The new hub will also deliver benefits to multi-cultural communities with a focus on social cohesion and diversity.
Stage 1
Club will transfer its elite programs including the NRL team and the Club’s administration to a new modular training facility.
Stage 2
Completion of an elite match venue to host our current junior representative games and elite women’s rugby league fixtures. Within this venue we will also commence building a 1000 seat grandstand.
Stage 3
Construction of a 5000 square metre Community and High Performance Centre to house state of the art training facilities for Parramatta Eels NRL Men and Women’s teams, Canterbury Cup and Eels Youth Academy for NRL, Touch Football and League Tag teams. The Club will also provide new state of the art facilities for disability, wheelchair and our Try Time Rugby League programs.
The Parramatta Eels and Hills Council have been working closely on ensuring that the proposed facility will significantly increase the number of community users, guarantee that there are enhanced facilities for the local junior league Clubs and that the surrounding residents will benefit from more parklands and free play spaces.
The multi-stage project will promote equality and social inclusion while facilitating greater outcomes for the community and stronger interaction between the Parramatta Eels Club and its community partners.
On the balance of things the Eels are travelling relatively well in the NRL this season, even considering the shellacking they copped at the hands of the Melbourne Storm on Saturday night. Off the field however, the storied Western Sydney club is making franchise altering moves as they build on the incredible success of Bankwest Stadium with the ultimate follow-up play by securing approximately $40-million dollars of funding for a centre of excellence located in Kellyville.
The 5000m² property will house facilities for both the Eels and the local community including a high-performance centre and and a professional-calibre playing field with a grandstand capable of seating roughly 1000 supporters.
Funding for the game-changing infrastructure for the Eels is expected to be split between their own private capital alongside significant grants from Hills Council, the NSW government and the federal government – the latter of which has secured bipartisan support…an absolutely massive outcome considering this weekend’s election.
The quality of Parramatta’s training facilities has long languished before the front-runners in the NRL while their Harold Matthews, SG Ball and Jersey Flegg have been bereft of a true home to call their own for a long, long time. Not to mention that the Eels will be fielding their own Canterbury Cup team moving forwards and they will need a home field.
For the Eels, a club that has struggled to generate TPAs to match NRL heavyweights, this could be a tipping point in future negotiations with high profile free agents. Once the Centre of Excellence is completed it means the Eels will have every bit of auxiliary stability required to build a consistent contender – the remainder will be on the coaches and playing group.
Today is a very good day, Eels fans.
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Its been a while in coming, and great to see, hope I live long enough to see it finished.
This announcement putting aside any aspects of the politics with the election coming up, and the aspect it does have cross party support begins another era for our club, my hope also is that this headline event will squash the other rubbish headlines.
Well done eels and all involved in it.
LOL Colin that is a bit morbid. You will get to see it along with all the benefits it provides the club.
It is a huge bit of news for the club. Well done to Bernie and all those at the club involved in putting this game changing proposal together.
It is hard to describe the effect that this facility will have on future recruitment, retention and most importantly on field performance.
During the off season there were some posts that made me wonder if Sixties had a bit more information on this than he let on.
I don’t mean that as a criticism just an observation. I think that I am learning to read some of Sixties clues.
John, I agree with you re some of the hidden hints from Sixties its what makes this site so great.
I guess my top post may have seemed a bit morbid but it was not intended that way, and I guess by making what I thought was a poking shot at some of the other garbage may have been noted.
After the game on Sunday and its results, this news has to be the best yet for the year, dare I suggest it surpasses the new stadiums opening, and really adds heaps to that event as well. Rather than good news its great.
Wonderful news. How refreshing to have highly competent professionals on our board who get real things, game changing things done.
If this is what the Telegraph and Fox NRL calls unprofessional, uneducated and irresponsible management and board members then bring on more I say.
I think you could say the same about the Tele and Fox though Shelley! Seriously, these “journalists” are making themselves more irrevelant by the day.
Fox nrl shows and the Tele are agenda driven rubbish. I will not watch NRL 360, have not watched since that rubbish about BA loosing the player group last year. They are annoyed because they can not control Parra anymore. It is actually amusing for me because they are so desperate for leaks from the club but can not get them. Whenever the club wants news out they go to SMH or NRL.com. It is driving the news journalists ( gossip writers) crazy and I love it.
The only annoying thing is how many Parra supporters listen to what the Tele says. Although the way Gutho’s contract has been handled by the Tele has helped many wake up to them.
I love our new professional board.
Shelley, spot on and what I have been saying elsewhere, this is media driven as has been against the eels for ages. I do not watch any of these NRL shows anymore, even the ones on free to air as I don’t have pay tv.
The way this management at the eels are showing now. the eels are no longer the media whipping posts for over paying players and being controlled by those who do not have the club at heart.
We have pay TV for the sole purpose of watching NRL, we record NRL 360 and then just fast forward the parts of no interest. The agenda of the “journos” have been driven by player agents, and specifically Gutherson’s Manager in his contract negotiations. Last night they admitted that they had spoken to his Manager who as yet knew nothing of the negotiation deadline being put in place by Parra. The vitriol expressed by Paul Crawley and the one-sided picture he paints of the negotiation process is appalling and something I have contacted Fox about, namely the lack of objectivity in their reporting.
What Shelley said , perfect summation, all you needed was a #dropthemic
Is someone here able to elaborate on exactly a Centre of Excellence is? Am I wrong in assuming that it’s more or less a state of the art training facility?
As you said, cutting edge training and recovery facilities. Also a centralised home for all our junior and reserve grade teams. It becomes the focal point for everything outside of game day for first grade.
Brindmarsh, I toured the Penrith facility with Parrathruandthru and it was an eye opener. All admin there. Massive gym. Kitchen and dining area. Two huge dressing rooms – one for NRL, one for lower grades. Spas, Meeting room like a lecture theatre. Rooms for coaches and other staff. Treatment areas. Work stations for video reviews. Recreation room. Two footy fields. I reckon if you organised a group you’d get a tour if you asked (in the off season). You might have to pretend to be Panthers fans.John Farragher took our tour. What a champion, what an ambassador for their club.
The Eels new centre is planned to cater for more of the community and will include a field (with stand) for junior reps and probably lower grades. It will be an amazing facility.
Its been a while coming and what a perfect time to announce it with the other distractions going on. Signing news today that BA has been extended as well for 2 years.
I like how this asset will benefit the community, not just elite players. This will help build the Parramatta Eels brand into a community minded organisation rather than just a money making NRL club. Sounds like it is still a way off in it’s complete state, but at least the wheels are finally in motion. Parra will have the very best of everything with this, the stadium, and the upgrades to the Leagues Club, and this stretches Eels heartland well into the Hills district and North West.
Now we just need some game day buses from the Hills District to Bankwest…