The NSW Government officially launched the Parliamentary Friends of Football – Northern NSW & Newcastle Jets at NSW Parliament House on Thursday 14 May, establishing a stronger voice for football across regional NSW.
The launch brought together Members of Parliament from northern NSW across both the Lower and Upper Houses, highlighting bipartisan support for the growth of football and its impact on regional communities.
MPs heard from co-chairs Robert Dwyer, Member for Port Macquarie, and Sonia Hornery, Member for Wallsend, alongside NNSWF CEO Peter Haynes and Newcastle Jets CEO Tain Drinkwater, who spoke about the opportunities and challenges facing football across the region.
Former Lake Macquarie football community player, former professional footballer and current Newcastle Jets General Manager of Football Nigel Boogaard delivered the keynote address, sharing his football journey and reinforcing the importance of strong pathways for regional players and clubs.
The Parliamentary Friends of Football – Northern NSW & Newcastle Jets group has been established as a bipartisan forum to strengthen engagement between Parliament and football stakeholders across northern NSW.
The initiative will help advocate for improved facilities, regional infrastructure investment, participation growth and more inclusive opportunities across all levels of the game.
NNSWF currently represents more than 200 clubs and over 110,000 registered participants from Lake Macquarie to the Queensland border, making football one of the region’s largest participation sports.
The establishment of the group marks an important step in ensuring football communities across northern NSW have a stronger voice in future policy, funding and infrastructure discussions, while continuing to grow and strengthen the game across the region.
NNSWF CEO Peter Haynes said the launch of the Parliamentary Friends of Football - Northern NSW and Newcastle Jets created an important opportunity to advocate for the future of football across northern NSW.
“This is an important step forward for football across northern NSW,” Haynes said.
“The establishment of the Parliamentary Friends of Football - Northern NSW and Newcastle Jets creates a strong platform for the game to engage directly with government, advocate for the needs of our regional communities and highlight the significant social, economic and participation impact football delivers across the region.
“We’re excited to work alongside Members of Parliament, the Newcastle Jets and the wider football community to help grow and strengthen the game at every level.”
Newcastle Jets CEO Tain Drinkwater said the establishment of the Parliamentary Friends of Football – Northern NSW & Newcastle Jets would provide a strong platform to advocate for the continued growth and development of football across the region.
“The Parliamentary Friends of Football – Northern NSW & Newcastle Jets is an important initiative to strengthen relationships between elected Members of Parliament and the football community across Newcastle and the Hunter,” Drinkwater said.
“The priorities and challenges facing football in our region, including facility shortfalls and regional infrastructure needs, are distinct from those in metropolitan Sydney.
“It is important that we work together to support growth and investment in the game across our region. This will help ensure football’s priorities, from grassroots through to our A-League teams, are well represented at all levels.”