Ministers sworn in for NSW’s new Government as incoming Premier advises of end to suburban stadium funding

Following last Saturday’s state election, new NSW Premier Chris Minns has been sworn into his role - in what appears to be a minority government -  with six additional senior Ministers announced as taking on specific portfolios.

While Ministerial appointments have yet to be announced for all leisure portfolios, the following roles have been assigned:

Prue Car - Deputy Premier and Minister for Youth
Penny Sharpe - Minister for the Environment and Minister for Heritage
John Graham - Minister for the Arts, Minister for the Night-time Economy and Music and Minister for Tourism
Daniel Mookhey - Treasurer and Minister for Planning and Public Spaces
Ryan Park - Minister for Local Government
Jo Haylen - Minister for Hospitality and Racing and Minister for Sport

The remainder of the new Ministry will be sworn in shortly.

End of NSW Government funding for suburban stadia
On taking office, Premier Minns has advised that the NSW Government will no longer fund the upgrade of suburban sporting stadia and, in particular, the rebuilding of rugby league grounds.

Beyond $300 million already committed for the redevelopment of Penrith’s PointsBet Stadium, the new administration's priority to invest in the health and education sector will likely end planned upgrades to suburban grounds such as Leichhardt Oval, Brookvale Oval and Shark Park in Cronulla. 

Speaking to media, Premier Minns advised “we have inherited $200 billion of debt and we’ve got urgent responsibilities for schools and hospitals.

“They’ve got to be our priority that’s why we were elected on Saturday.”

In response to widely reported demands for the previous NSW Government’s commitments to stadium funding, Premier Minns added “I’m happy to sit down with sporting codes of every persuasion … but I can’t leave people with the wrong conclusion, we need to turn around the results in public education and public hospitals.”

Media have also reported that Australian Rugby League Commission Chairman, Peter V'landys is again prepared to have the NRL Grand Final move from Sydney if the Queensland or Victorian Governments offered the right financial package.

In response, Visit Victoria Chief Executive Brendan McClements that he would be keen to have the NRL’s Grand Final staged at the MCG.

Speaking at the SportNXT conference in Melbourne on Tuesday, McClements stated “I have got 35,000 more seats for Peter. In a purely commercial decision, that is $4-5 million waiting for him. So, I would like to talk to Peter at some stage about that.”

Asked at the SportNXT conference about the NRL Grand Final being staged in Melbourne, AFL Chief Executive, Gillon McLachlan said “it would make a nice curtain raiser” for the AFL’s event.

Image: Newly elected NSW Premier Chris Minns on the Menindee River this week.