Greater Sydney clubs receive $10 million for infrastructure upgrades

Liam Watson

Football clubs in Greater Sydney have a share of $10 million in funding, as part of Round 1 of the Greater Cities Sports Facility Fund.

15 football projects were announced – ranging from new amenity buildings, synthetic fields, lighting upgrades and field renovations.

The NSW Government has confirmed a major investment in sports facilities across NSW, awarding more than $52 million in grants under the Greater Cities and Regional Sport Facility Fund.

NSW Minister for Sport Natalie Ward said the projects are to improve accessibility, inclusion and participation opportunities for females and people with disability.

Football funding was spread throughout Greater Sydney, from as far south as Fairy Meadow (Illawarra United Stingrays) and west in the Bankstown region (Padstow) and into Sydney’s northwest region (Kenthurst Park).

Sutherland Shire FA benefitted from three successful projects worth over $1.4 million towards amenity upgrades and a major lighting upgrade to Heathcote Oval.

Canterbury District Soccer Football Association clubs scored $2 million in funding with the implementation of Waterworth Park ($1 million) and a new amenity building at Ewen Park for Hurlstone Park Wanderers FC also assisted with $1 million.

Football NSW CEO Stuart Hodge thanked the NSW Government for its support to bring these much-needed infrastructure upgrades to clubs.

“The funding from the NSW Government will assist our football clubs in meeting the future demand of the largest sport in Australia and NSW,” Hodge said.

“The NSW Football Infrastructure Strategy recognises that football demand is already exceeding facility supply. If action is not taken now to plan infrastructure over the coming decade, then the gap will widen and opportunities to play will be lost.”

Seven venues received funding for amenity upgrades, supporting Football NSW’s focus area of increasing and improving gender neutral player and match official change room provision under the Inclusive Football Facilities pillar of the NSW Football Infrastructure Strategy.

Amenity upgrades will help improve the current facility situation where only one in five amenity buildings are gender neutral and female friendly across NSW.

As the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup is only two years away, infrastructure projects funded in Round 1 will provide an enormous benefit for clubs as they future proof their venue in anticipation of increased female participants over the coming years.

The successfully funded projects will allow players, coaches, referees and volunteers of all abilities to fully enjoy their football experience well into the future.

A full list of successful recipients from the Greater Cities Facility Fund, Round 1 can be found here.

An extra $25 million will be made available in Round 2 of the Greater Cities Sports Facility Fund which is expected to open shortly.

Clubs and associations seeking funding for the next round should contact Daniel Ristic from the Facilities and Advocacy Unit at Football NSW.

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Female Football Week kicks off across Northern NSW

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Female Football Week has officially begun across Northern NSW, with a program of gala days, networking events and awards ceremonies running until Sunday May 17, marking a ten-day celebration that organisers say reflects both the growth of women’s football in the region and the work still required to sustain it.

The national initiative, now a fixture on the football calendar, provides a dedicated period of visibility for female participants across all levels of the game from players, coaches, referees to volunteers, whose contributions have historically received less recognition than their male counterparts.

NNSWF Participation and Women’s Football Officer Serena Carter said the week offered something for everyone connected to women’s football in the region.

“Female Football Week provides a fantastic chance to highlight the dedication and skill of female players, coaches, referees and volunteers across the northern NSW community,” Carter said. “There’s something for everyone to enjoy, from grassroots participants to elite competitors.”

Women’s football in northern NSW spans remote and regional communities where clubs operate on limited resources, alongside more established metropolitan programs with clearer development pathways. Female Football Week creates a moment of shared recognition across that spectrum and acknowledges the role volunteers play, from running the canteen to progressing through the pathway.

Northern NSW Football has recorded some of its strongest participation numbers in women’s and girls’ football in recent seasons, a trend that has placed increasing pressure on clubs and facilities to keep pace. The week’s events offer clubs an opportunity to showcase their commitment to diversity and inclusion at a time when that commitment is being tested by growth.

Football NNSW Releases Infrastructure Strategies as Participation Growth Outpaces Facilities

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Northern NSW Football has unveiled bespoke infrastructure strategies for each of its seven member zones, providing an evidence-based roadmap for facility investment across the region as continued participation growth exposes critical gaps in the sporting infrastructure available to support it.

The Member Zone Infrastructure Strategies draw on data across participation rates, population growth and existing facility conditions to map what each zone has, what it needs and where investment will have the greatest impact. Identified gaps include drainage, lighting and inclusive changerooms – the foundational infrastructure that determines whether facilities are functional, safe and accessible year-round.

NNSWF Government Relations Manager Gary Fisher said the strategies represented a significant step toward smarter, more targeted investment across the region.

“By bringing together key data on participation, population growth and existing infrastructure, these strategies give us a stronger understanding of where the needs are greatest and where investment will have the most impact,” Fisher said. “Ultimately we want to create more inclusive and accessible environments for everyone involved in the game while building stronger, more sustainable clubs and communities for the future.”

Northern NSW Football has previously noted that participation across the region is at record levels and still rising, with women’s and girls’ football a significant driver of that growth. Infrastructure that was built for a smaller and less diverse participation base is increasingly unable to meet current demand, let alone accommodate future growth.

The strategies are also designed to strengthen NNSWF’s alignment with government funding priorities, providing the evidence base needed to support grant applications and long-term facility planning across all seven zones.

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