The Parramatta Eels players’ jerseys will bear the Parramatta Council emblem as part of a sponsorship agreement valued up to $3.4 million, which the city’s mayor has called an irresponsible use of ratepayer money.
Monday’s late-night confidential council meeting resulted in a vote to establish a three-year advertising and community sports clinic relationship with the dominant NRL team. According to a report presented to the council, the arrangement may potentially cost as much as $2.47 million in total. $383,500 has been committed to the transaction in the first year; the remaining funds are to be confirmed in 2024.
The sponsorship was “not the best use of council money when people are struggling to put food on the table,” according to Labor Mayor Pierre Esber, who voted against the agreement.
“Spending this much money at this time…” He said, “Is this value for the City of Parramatta?” “But I accept the chamber’s will, which was that.”
Nine council members voted in favor of the agreement, with four voting against it along with the mayor.
In the first year of the arrangement, Parramatta Council’s $383,500 will be allocated to “shared strategic areas” of community, brand, and visitation, per a report recommendation. The expenditure breakdown for the second and third years of the agreement, however, could be changed by the council.During home games at CommBank Stadium in Parramatta, the council’s emblem will be shown on screens and signs in addition to the bottom of the back of player jerseys. Additionally, funds will support player clinics, holiday camps, local women’s sports scholarships, and community activities held on game day around the stadium.
After Our Local Community councillor Michelle Garrard submitted an amendment to remove the provision offering a 20-person “director’s table” at each home game for $79,600, the council decided to reject it.
If the advice was adopted, the report threatened the council’s “reputation.”
Kellie Darley, an independent councillor, voted against the arrangement because she thought it was too soon to approve it in time for the NRL season to start in February.
“Whether it’s a pub full of Eels fans or not, it doesn’t pass the pub test,” she declared. “We actually lack the funds, and there are unfinished infrastructure projects in our backlog.”
Voting in favor of the Eels sponsorship, Garrard stated that the agreement was mostly about community benefit rather than council branding.
“We sponsor the Sydney Festival, an arts event, so why is there such a strong reaction against us?” she questioned. “Why is sports acceptable but the arts not?”
She noted that the council’s financing will help expand the capacity for local programs, as the Eels’ school holiday activities were already fully booked.”We aspire to be an international city. This agreement [to] the elected body does not really benefit us, which is what usually sparks a scandal.” The council has a long history of financial support from the local NRL club; in 2015, the Herald reported that plans to pay club stars Tim Mannah, William Hopoate, and Nathan Peats $25,000 apiece to serve as council ambassadors were eventually shelved due to strong community opposition.
