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A joint $40 million investment in Sydney’s historic Leichhardt Oval will deliver critical upgrades to ensure the safety and comfort of competitors and fans.

The Albanese Government recognises the significant contribution Leichhardt Oval has made, and continues to make, to sport in Australia. It is on track to host 120 sporting fixtures in 2024, including both men’s and women’s national rugby league matches and dozens of other sport events including women and girls’ soccer.

It is critical we invest in iconic local sporting venues like Leichhardt Oval for the benefit of players, spectators and the wider community.

These venues are a platform for elite women and girls’ sporting competitions, such as NRLW and Women’s A League. They have formed the pathways for so many athletes to go on to major national and international success.

Leichhardt Oval has become increasingly expensive to maintain and significant upgrades are required to ensure it can continue to host elite, amateur and grassroots sporting events and training.

The $40 million investment will draw on the Inner West Council’s Leichhardt Oval Masterplan and includes upgrades to:

• New female-friendly change rooms.
• Increased seating capacity of 3,000.
• A new northern grandstand.

The Commonwealth, State and Local governments have formed a funding partnership to secure the future of Leichhardt Oval. The Commonwealth is committing $20 million to the project, with the NSW Government and the Inner West Council investing $10 million each towards the upgrade.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese

“There’s nothing better than sitting on Wayne Pearce Hill at Leichhardt Oval.

“My Government understands the important role suburban grounds play in the quality of life for Australians.

“This investment will not only be great for the Wests Tigers, but will see Leichardt Oval continue to be a hub for school, women and girls’ sport.

“Leichhardt Oval is a place where the faithful can go along and cheer their local sporting teams, and this funding from all three levels of government will ensure that spirit is preserved.”

Minister for Sport Anika Wells

“Leichhardt Oval has a rich history in Australian sport, and we want to see that continue.

“So many Australians have fond memories of not just watching the Tigers’ NRL and NRLW teams but soccer games and a range of women’s sporting events.

“It’s time for this iconic oval to receive the love it deserves, so I welcome our partnership with the NSW Government and the Inner West Council to deliver these significant upgrades.

“Players and fans will be able to make new memories and enjoy the facilities at the oval for generations to come.”

New South Wales Minister for Sport Steve Kamper

“Today we are joining all levels of Government to future-proof Leichhardt Oval.

“Whilst Leichhardt Oval is the spiritual home of the Wests Tigers, this oval has become much more than that. It has become a true community hub and a home for women’s sport.

“The NSW Government is committed to increasing the participation of women and young girls in sport. This funding will ensure the stadium can deliver fit-for-purpose facilities for the next generation of elite, amateur and grassroots athletes.”

The Australian Greens have called Peter Dutton’s climate target comments ‘a waste of breath’, given the Liberals have zero chance of winning government at the next election and no chance of overturning a climate majority in the House and Senate.

During the passage of climate legislation in 2022 the Greens secured provisions to ‘Dutton-proof’ the law, ensuring climate targets couldn’t go backwards through any unilateral executive action of a future government. The party said they would continue to use their power in the Senate following the next election to block any weakening of that legislation.

The Greens say with no prospect of forming a majority government or holding the balance of power in the Senate, Dutton and Anthony Albanese should stop confecting a meaningless fight.

This week, Dutton suggested the Liberals would weaken Australia’s 2030 climate targets if elected, but said he wouldn’t announce what those targets were until after the election, an election the Liberals will certainly lose.

And even if against all odds the Coalition were able form a minority government, existing legislation would prevent Dutton from going below the 43 per cent target. 

Further, given likely Senate election results at the next election, there is no foreseeable pathway to change that legislation.

If the 2022 election result was replicated in 2024-25, the Greens and Labor together would have 39 votes in the Senate, a blocking and passing majority.

If the 2019 election result was replicated in 2024-25, the Greens and Labor together would have 37 votes, with at least one independent such as Lidia Thorpe and Tammy Tyrrell (who are not up for election) or David Pocock and Jacqui Lambie (should they be re-elected) likely to provide the final 38th blocking vote.

Leader of the Australian Greens, Adam Bandt, said while Dutton was wasting airtime talking about climate targets he would never have the power to change, the real fight after the next election will be about going further.

With the Greens gearing up to increase their representation in the House and likely to hold balance of power in the Senate as well, Mr Bandt said they were going to use their power to push for stronger climate action, including stopping the next government from opening new coal and gas mines.

Leader of the Australian Greens, Adam Bandt MP:

“The confected 2030 target stoush between Peter Dutton and Anthony Albanese is nothing more than hot air.

“The Liberals haven’t got a chance in hell at winning the next election, and existing climate legislation has been Dutton-proofed so he can’t weaken the targets even if he wanted to.

“Neither Labor nor Liberal targets meet the Paris Agreement climate goals, and instead of a confected debate about something Peter Dutton won’t even have the power to do, we should focus on what the science demands and stop opening new coal and gas mines.

“In a minority Parliament, the Greens will push Labor to stop opening new coal and gas mines, something Labor and Liberal are desperate to avoid talking about. 

“Neither Liberal nor Labor are committed to the Paris goal of keeping global warming below 2 degrees, let alone 1.5 and both want more coal and gas mines. Every new coal and gas mine approved by Labor sets back the transition to clean, cheap renewables, while exporting dirty climate pollution across the globe.”

It’s time the Government implemented the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect, and Exploitation of People with Disability that were handed down more than 8 months ago. 

In a government-run public consultation, responders emphasised the importance of implementing the recommendations made by the Royal Commission, as well as greater accountability and evaluation to ensure that implementation is effective and leads to improved outcomes. 

The consultation revealed positive support across stakeholder groups for the recommendations made by the Royal Commission, with the highest support coming from disabled respondents. Many shared the view that the recommendations represent a real opportunity to improve the lives of disabled people.

The recent federal budget had no new funding allocated to implement the recommendations, so advocates are deeply concerned that there will be no tangible action for at least another year.

Jordon Steele-John, Greens Spokesperson for Disability Rights and Services:

“The Royal Commission has presented us with an opportunity to uphold the rights of every disabled person in this country, and Labor is letting that opportunity slip away.

“The job is still far from over, and the Labor government has made shockingly little progress since the report was handed to them more than 8 months ago.

“This consultation confirms what we already know: the disability community, organisations and advocates all want to see positive change in the sector. 

“We’re still yet to see the co-design and consultation that Labor had promised us. Their NDIS legislation and their inaction on these recommendations make it clear that Labor doesn’t care about disabled people and our lives.

“We will continue to put pressure on Labor to implement the recommendations, fund the NDIS and ensure future disability legislation is created by and for disabled people. 

Greens Deputy Leader and International Aid and Global Justice Spokesperson Senator Mehreen Faruqi has stated that while the Albanese Government’s decision to provide an additional $10 million in aid to Gaza is a positive development, it must be accompanied by more long term aid funding to UNRWA and critically, sanctions on Israel.

Senator Mehreen Faruqi:

“More aid funding for Gaza, where so many Palestinians have endured months of genocidal violence by Israel and are facing a deliberate famine, is the bare minimum.

“More aid funding won’t compensate for the fact that the Albanese Government is complicit in Israel’s genocide and has failed to impose a single consequence on Israel for its horrific slaughter of 36,000 Palestinians.

“The Albanese Government merely calling on Israel to stop blocking aid is not good enough. We need actual sanctions, not more flimsy calls and weasel words that the genocidal state of Israel will inevitably ignore.

“Labor needs to show real leadership and take tangible action like backing South Africa’s ICJ genocide case against Israel and ending the two-way arms trade with Israel.

“We must not forget that Labor abruptly suspended aid funding to UNRWA, without a shred of evidence and has yet to apologise for that reckless and dangerous decision and must increase funding to UNRWA.”