Australia Announces $9M Commitment To NRL Manly Sea Eagles' Brookdale Oval

Australia's Labor Party has announced a A$10M ($9M) "commitment towards the upgrade" of New South Wales sporting ground Brookdale Oval, according to Charis Chang of the MANLY DAILY. Australia Deputy PM Anthony Albanese made the announcement Tuesday, which will "help ensure the future" of the National Rugby League Manly Sea Eagles' home ground. The money will go toward a proposed A$30M covered grandstand on the eastern side of the oval that will seat 4,350. Albanese said that the money "had come from the money put aside in the government's budget in May." Albanese: "The local community I believe, will very much welcome this funding, it's been talked about for a long time, we want to see this job get done." Manly coach Geoff Toovey welcomed the funding and said that it "was a great start and would go towards the first stage of the project." Toovey said, "It is a long awaited project in an area which has been forgotten for infrastructure this side of the bridge" (MANLY DAILY, 8/6).