Campbelltown Sports Stadium has been left off the state government list of suburban grounds to receive major upgrades.
Liverpool, Penrith, Brookvale and Kogarah will all receive new or upgraded stadiums when the NSW budget is announced later this month.
But Campbelltown, which is about to provide the home ground of new A-League franchise Macarthur FC Bulls, misses out.
Local MP Greg Warren and Campbelltown Mayor George Brticevic have now asked for an explanation from the Berejiklian Government.
Mr Warren said residents in Campbelltown and the wider Macarthur region deserved to know why they had been snubbed.
“This isn’t a matter of robbing Peter to pay Paul – I don’t want to take anything away from Penrith, Liverpool, Kogarah or Brookvale,” Mr Warren said.
“This is simply about finding out why Campbelltown was left off the list.
“I have written to the acting minister for sport, Geoff Lee, asking why Campbelltown Sports Stadium was shunned and I eagerly await his response.
“To me, it doesn’t make sense that Campbelltown Sports Stadium was ignored given there are two professional teams that call it home.
“It’s right next door to a train station making it ideal for patrons to come and go from games and events too.
“We are a rapidly expanding region that has not seen anywhere near the investment required from the NSW Liberals.
“This is the latest example of the NSW Liberals turning their back on Campbelltown and the wider Macarthur region.”
Mayor Brticevic said it doesn’t make sense to invest in a new stadium around the corner [Liverpool] when “we know that sports fans already love Campbelltown Stadium’s atmosphere and accessibility to the surrounding region’’.
“Leumeah has already been recognised as a regionally significant sporting, recreation and entertainment precinct for South Western Sydney,’’ he said.
“To hear that consideration is being given to funding for a new stadium in such close proximity to our existing venue without addressing Campbelltown Stadium’s need for an upgrade to fulfil its potential as one of Sydney’s best boutique stadiums just doesn’t make sense. Campbelltown Stadium should be a funding priority.
“While we welcome any investment into South Western Sydney we hope that this does not detract from any future upgrade to Campbelltown Stadium or any other vital infrastructure that would better service the region.
“As we have long advocated, an upgrade to Campbelltown Stadium is a logical and obvious option to enhance the sporting offering of South Western Sydney and support the professional sporting teams of the region, while creating jobs and stimulating the economy.
“Campbelltown Stadium is our premier sporting venue and in addition to hosting regular West Tigers matches and international teams, will soon be the full-time home of Macarthur FC from the next A-League season, kicking off this December,” Cr Brticevic said.
