Government Relations and Infrastructure

Infrastructure

The official sod turn of the $3.5 million Mark Taylor Oval indoor cricket practice facility was held on Monday 16 May. The event marked the commencement of stage 2 of the $9 million redevelopment of Waitara Park. Council had commenced stage 1 (oval redevelopment) in August 2021. Expected completion of stages 1 and 2 is early 2023. Stage 1 of the Armidale Regional Cricket Hub, the three-lane indoor cricket practice facility, has been completed. Stage 2 construction has commenced which includes change room facilities, office administration and a 130,000-litre water storage tank to collect water from the roof to allow Armidale District Cricket Association (ADCA) to supplement water supply for the nearby cricket pitch area of the sportsground. The facility was jointly funded by the NSW Government’s ICC T20 World Cup 2020 Cricket Legacy Fund, Armidale Regional Council, ADCA, Easts Cricket Club and the Australian Cricket Infrastructure Fund.

Cricket NSW is also collaborating and progressing major project discussions with several councils, project partners and cricket stakeholders across NSW such as Raby Sports Complex (Campbelltown), Richie Benaud Oval (Parramatta), Drummoyne Oval (Canada Bay), No.1 Sportsground (Newcastle), Lavington Sportsground (Albury) and Hastings Regional Sports Complex (Wauchope). We would like to acknowledge the local, state and federal authorities for their continued support and investment.

Australian Cricket Infrastructure Fund

The Australian Cricket Infrastructure Fund (ACIF) committed $1.63 million in grant funding for community cricket facility projects in NSW. Pleasingly, the highest ever NSW ACIF allocation was fully exhausted with a record number of 50 projects receiving a grant. Since 2013, Cricket NSW, in partnership with Cricket Australia, has provided approximately $7.86 million in funding to support 335 NSW cricket projects worth almost $100 million in facility investment.

ADCA junior cricketers Jacob Miller, Vanessa Simpson, Armidale Regional Council Deputy Mayor Deb O’Brien, Clancy McDermott, then Premier Gladys Berejiklian, Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall, ADCA Treasurer John Croft, Toby Miller, President Mike Porter, Ethan Relf, Secretary Kris Croft and Deputy Premier John Barilaro.

Alister Henskens (Member for Ku-ring-gai), Hornsby Shire Mayor Phillip Ruddock, Matt Kean (Treasurer and Minister for Energy, Member for Hornsby), Greg Mail (Chief of Cricket Performance), Northern District Cricket Club President Jeremy Hook & representatives and Hornsby Rugby Club representatives.

Grassroots Cricket Fund – Equipment Fund

The Grassroots Cricket Fund - Equipment Fund (GCF) committed $2.5 million across the country this year. Over the two rounds held, NSW received $746,000 in grants to 248 projects. The CNSW Infrastructure Strategy (2020-2030) emphasised the need to roll out a program to encourage cricket clubs, LGAs and other codes to install Automated External Defibrillators (AED). Cricket NSW joined forces with Cricket Australia’s Community Heart Program (Program) alongside the charitable initiative, Heart of the Nation. This year, five NSW applicants received an AED through the Program. Considering the floods impacting NSW and Queensland, round 2 of the GCF was extended for six weeks to applicants from Clubs or Centres affected by the situation, with assessments and payments prioritised and expedited. Of the 83 successful NSW applications, 17 were identified as flood impacted. We would like to acknowledge and thank Cricket Australia for its continued investment into NSW cricket facility projects since 2013.

Wednesday 27 October, launch of the Community Heart Program as part of the Grassroots Cricket Fund. (l-r) Harry Conway, Trent Copeland, Greg Mail, Heart of the Nation Director Greg Page and Cricket Victoria players Scott Boland and Will Sutherland.

Government Relations

Responding to COVID-19

The lead up to the 2021/22 season was filled with a multitude of uncertainties created by the lockdown across NSW that commenced in winter 2021. For a second year, COVID-19 meant much of what would take place in any normal year was actively subject to government approval and changing circumstances. Engagement across all levels of government and government departments during these months was extensive, particularly as our elite squads’ ability to train was impacted by the restrictions placed on gatherings and movement across Sydney and NSW. As other Australian jurisdictions began to place travel restrictions on NSW residents, the start to the 2021/22 domestic and international seasons became the subject of intense rounds of quarantine proposals with various state and territory governments. Cricket NSW and Cricket Victoria collaborated with respective state governments and state Health Departments to get the green light for several consecutive matches to be played between the NSW and Victorian men’s teams to get the season started. In addition, Cricket Australia was in negotiations with the Tasmanian Government to start the WBBL in Tasmania.

As NSW vaccination numbers climbed, Cricket NSW became involved in active negotiations with the NSW Government, the Opposition, and departments to develop a ‘Return to Play’ plan for community cricket. The plan covered aspects such as dates for a return to community sport, rules surrounding vaccination and rules for training and match days. The work that was done by volunteers across NSW to ensure community cricket could proceed safely was immensely important in all discussions with government. As things appeared to be settling down, the Omicron variant emerged in mid-December and caused a much different set of problems to be resolved to ensure the BBL season could continue across the Christmas and New Year period. Cricket NSW worked hand in glove with Cricket Australia and other state associations through these weeks to respond to the outbreak.

Michael and Adelaide Dalton with Her Excellency the Hon Margaret Beazley AC QC, Governor of New South Wales attends Sydney Test Match.

Representatives from Cricket NSW, North Sydney District DCC, North Sydney Bears RLFC and Northern Suburbs RFC pose with Senator Hon Marise Payne, then Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Women and Trent Zimmerman MP, then Member for North Sydney at North Sydney Oval. Summer of Hospitality

The realities of COVID-19 created several hurdles for Cricket NSW’s ability to host elected officials throughout the season. Nevertheless, key MPs, Ministers and Shadow Ministers from across the NSW Government and Opposition attended matches during the BBL season and the Sydney Test match. Cricket NSW Patron, Her Excellency the Hon Margaret Beazley AC QC, Governor of New South Wales, attended the Test match.

2022 Federal Election

Cricket in NSW had a very successful period during the 2022 Federal Election campaign, as numerous infrastructure projects advocated by Cricket NSW and members of the cricketing community won support by one or both major parties. Cricket NSW would like to particularly acknowledge the efforts of Cricket Australia for the development of the National Priorities booklets. The success of the campaign demonstrates the healthy collaboration between Cricket Australia and Cricket NSW for infrastructure and government relations. We would also like to acknowledge our Community Cricket colleagues involved in engaging and providing advice and feedback to our team since mid-2021. The whole team was central to all the work that happened through the campaign and the months prior. Cricket in NSW received nearly $53 million in commitments during the 2022 campaign from both the Coalition and Australian Labor Party (ALP) pledging funding to major cricket and sporting infrastructure projects. This is a near trebling on the total committed during the 2019 campaign. The ALP increased its support for cricket infrastructure by over 500% from the previous election. The largest Coalition funding commitment of $6 million was made to enhancing North Sydney Oval as the unofficial Home of NSW Women’s Cricket. The Coalition also committed $3.75 million to deliver upgrades and new facilities at Drummoyne Oval to help grow female participation in cricket and AFL. Two significant projects that the ALP pledged funding to included $6.2 million to the redevelopment of Richie Benaud Oval in Parramatta and $9 million to develop sporting facilities such as club rooms, a community centre and a pair of new cricket grounds at Darkes District Sports Park, West Dapto. We acknowledge and thank for Federal and State Governments for their continued support and investment into cricket facility developments and programs across NSW.

Teale Blessington

Head of Infrastructure & Government