By Molly Magennis
Gellibrand MP Tim Watts has promised a $500,000 upgrade to the women’s change room facilities at Downer Oval if the Labor government is successful at the upcoming election.
Downer Oval is the home of the Williamstown Seagulls Football Club, who have teams competing in both the VFL and VFLW competitions.
The club originally applied for government funding to upgrade the facilities back in 2018 under the Community Sport Infrastructure Grant Program.
Despite being found eligible by Sports Australia, the club was denied funding and were soon embroiled in the ‘sports rorts’ saga.
The funding announcement was made on Mr Watt’s Facebook page on March 29, where he said an Albanese government would right the wrongs made by the Liberal Party four years ago.
“Scott Morrison used taxpayers’ money for his own short term political interests and clubs like the Williamstown Football Club paid the price,” Mr Watts said.
“We’ll deliver the Williamstown Football Club funding they should have received in 2018.
“Australians deserve a government that governs in the interests of all Australians, not one that puts its own short-term political interests first.”
A report investigating the scandal released by the Auditor-General last year stated that there was “evidence of distribution bias in the award of grant funding” towards applicants located in areas targeted by the Coalition during the 2019 election.
When asked to respond to Mr Watts comments, a spokesman for Sport Minister Richard Colbeck said the two most important factors in the final decision making process was ensuring there was a “good geographical spread of projects between states and also between metro and regional areas.”
“Critically, if Labor and the Greens’ position on the program’s assessment and recommendations to the minister had been adopted, then far fewer local sporting projects would have been funded.”
Williamstown Football Club chief executive Ashley Baker said the Seagull’s were grateful for Labor’s pledge, and that the redevelopment will not only be significant for the club, but also the community.
“With the support of the Labor Party we will be able to provide first class facilities for the local community in the west, whilst ensuring our football infrastructure is unrivalled this side of Footscray,” he said.
