Hunter Football Club who Missed Out on Funding, More Eligible Than Clubs Who Received the Money

BY ISABEL EVERETT

A local football club has missed out on Federal funding from the scandalous sports grant program, despite receiving a higher score on their application than other projects which did secure funding.

Newcastle Olympic Football Club applied for $500,000 from the $100 million dollar fund towards the end of 2018 to upgrade the their ageing grand stand and change room facilities, but were rejected. 

An independent analysis undertaken by Sports Australia found they scored 76 out of 100 points on their application, more than the 74 required. 

Newcastle Olympic Football Club Secretary, Con Gounis, says the application process was extensive.

"It's not an easy process filling the application, there's a lot of work and a lot of time. The process took probably about two to three months. You had to get letters of support, quotes," he said.

"We just thought we had a pretty good chance of receiving the grant, we ticked all the boxes as far as we could see." 

"When we found out we didn't get it we thought, yeah okay there must have been other worthy projects, which obviously there are, but to find out you've missed out because of other external circumstances, not on the submission you provided is very disappointing." 

Mr Gounis met with Newcastle MP, Sharon Claydon at the Hamilton South facilities on Thursday. 

Ms Claydon said that despite having strong community support, the Newcastle Olympic Football Club application was bypassed for less worthy projects. 

“We already know that close to half the projects that were approved under this appalling sports rorts program weren’t even eligible, while deserving projects like the Darling Street redevelopment didn’t get a cent,” Ms Claydon said.

“This is a shameful betrayal of trust of the thousands of people in community sporting organisations across the country that toiled for days - if not weeks or months – filling out these grant applications in good faith.”

Ms Claydon said she is writing to the Prime Minister to request that the Government deliver the Darling Street project funding in line with its obvious merit. 

“I’m calling on the Prime Minister to review the dodgy decisions of his Government and deliver this deserved funding to the Newcastle Olympic Football Club.”  

Mr Gounis said the clubs facilities are in serious need of an upgrade. 

"We had good support from Newcastle City Council, from Sharon, from the club's funding and we hoped that this was just going to tip us over the edge to repair some infrastructure that's quite ageing here now," he said.

"The grand stand was built over 30 years ago by the club volunteers, the amenities are 50 years old."

"There's no facilities for women referees, the dressing sheds are quite archaic. We just wanted to upgrade so we could have facilities for our men and our women so we can provide for every sphere we are involved in."

Mr Gounis said the grand stand is of particular concern.

"It doesn't meet all building specifications, it's still safe, but it's rusting and weathered. It really does need replacement."

The club has expressed how disheartening the oredeal has been and the doubt it has cast over Government sport grants programs in general. 

"We just want a level playing field, to be judged on your merit, it doesn't look like that's happened, for a club that's worked really hard over the 30 or 35 years here at the oval," he said. 

"It's certainly put a big question mark on it, you just expect that everyone's equal and it's going to be decided fairly and equitably."

But, My Gounis says the club isn't giving up yet.

"We'll still keep trying, we're very dedicated and determined to get the facility up to what we think it needs to be playing in the NPL, in the youths, the men's and the women's.

                       Newcastle MP, Sharon Claydon speaks to Newcastle Olympic Football Club Secretary, Con Gounis. 

Victims Still Waiting for Redress Scheme

BY TYLER FARDELL

The Federal Government is looking to right the wrongs of the past, and provide support and compensation to victims of sexual abuse as a child.

However, many are concerned about the delays of introducing the Redress scheme, which was originally planned to be ready by this year, but now looks like to be implemented next year at the earliest.

The Redress scheme will provide some form of compensation to victims of abuse, be it monetary compensation or support through services like counselling.

Newcastle MP Sharon Claydon has been appointed to a parliamentary committee which will oversee the scheme, and ensure it benefits all victims of abuse.

Mrs Claydon said it was a privilege to sit on the committee and help those who need it.

"The terrible shameful cases of child sexual abuse that were uncovered in our region were a key catalyst in the formation of the Royal commission four years ago", she said.

However, Ms Claydon said there is still much work to be done before a national scheme is in place.

"We were supposed to have a redress scheme in place by July this year, but here we are on the cusp of 2018 and the legislation is yet to pass the parliament and the Government still hasn't secured the agreement of the states".

Sharon Claydon MP

Work at Newcastle Port back in Local Hands

BY SARAH BARONOWSKI

It's a victory for local workers this week, with local engineering company Varley Group securing a contract to unload wind turbine cargo at Newcastle Port.

The change comes after a shipping company who previously used Singaporean workers on 457 visas to do the job, caved from community pressure.

Maritime workers held a protest at Newcastle Port earlier this month in protest of foreign workers taking their jobs.

Newcastle MP Sharon Claydon says this turnaround is a terrific win for Newcastle locals.

Workers protesting at Newcastle Port [Image: Maritime Executive]

Both for our local workforce, certainly for Varley Group...and also just stopping what was one of the most exploitive moves ever trying to replace a local workforce with a foreign workforce that was to the best of our knowledge, not receiving the right wages or conditions for the job."

She says the Unions were a key factor in keeping the work local.

"The Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union and the Maritime Union of Australia have done a great job in bringing community workers together to ensure that this outrageous attempt to deploy a fly-in crew from Singapore to do the work that men and women in Newcastle have been doing for generations - it's great to see they've been able to garner enough community support and pressure to stop that practice in Newcastle."

According to the MP, when companies give these contracts to foreign workers, it's often a case of exploitation for the sake of profit.

"They're paying those overseas workers lower wages and not paying attention to their level of skills," she said.

"It's just a classic case of a company trying to cut corners on safety and further suppress wages and conditions in order to make a bigger profit at the end of the day."

Despite the victory, Sharon Claydon still believes we need to be on our guard to help protect Australian jobs.

The government could be adding insult to injury on the University of Newcastle

BY JESSICA ROUSE

New figures have revealed the University of Newcastle could be set to lose $79 million if the Turnbull Government's higher education reforms get through Parliament.

The loss would come as a result of particular reforms for enabling programs like New Step and Open Foundation, which would be opened up to the private sector and an addition of fees in excess of $3,000.

Newcastle Mp Sharon Claydon along with her Labor team is fighting against the reforms and she believes it would really add insult to injury for the university.

"That's a lot of money and it's coming on top of additional $100 million that the university is set to lose through the so called efficiency dividend over the next ten years if this government's higher education package gets through the parliament."

Tens of thousands of students get into degrees through the enabling programs and Newcastle is the biggest provider of the programs in Australia.

Deputy Leader of the Opposition and Shadow Minister for Education Tanya Plibersek hosted a roundtable at the University of Newcastle with Sharon Claydon and Deputy Vice Chancellor Professor Daryl Evans last month to discuss the changes and the effect they'll have on students wanting to undertake study.

The government's views haven't budged since and the Newcastle MP says the reforms will put students off the idea of high education rather than encouraging them to better their learning.

"It's my firm view if the government is looking for savings they'd better look away from education because that's an area we should always be investing - Australia's greatest asset is our people and investing in our people is a long term investment for our future."

Newcastle MP Sharon Claydon and Deputy Leader of the Opposition
Tanya Plibersek at the roundtable last month.