In Australia, Labor pledged A$5m for football project before detailed planning and costing
In Australia, the office of Health Minister Mark Butler asked the City of Charles Sturt council in Adelaide to submit an application for funding to upgrade the Jubilee Reserve sports complex, with an estimated cost of A$6 million, before detailed planning and cost estimates had been completed. Labor later pledged A$5 million for the project ahead of the 2025 election, ABC News Australia reports.
Correspondence concerning the project cost
Documents obtained through a freedom of information request show that the council initially sought A$1.2 million for lighting and the development of a master plan for the site. However, the federal government approached it regarding a broader initiative to establish a permanent home for the Adelaide Jaguars women’s football club at Jubilee Reserve.
In January 2025, Kieran O'Dea, an employee of Butler’s office, asked Mayor Angela Evans to send a letter confirming the plan and an estimated cost of about A$6 million, including a council contribution. In February, he requested a more detailed cost estimate and timeline, suggesting that previous projects be used as a reference. On the same day, the council prepared an estimate of exactly A$6 million.
Positions of the council, opposition and minister
The council’s chief executive officer, Paul Sutton, said the figure was an early indicative estimate for the broader proposal. According to him, further planning, design and costing work was needed to confirm the scope of works, feasibility and final cost. The formal master-planning and public consultation process was only due to begin in July last year — several months after the election pledge.
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Ultimately, the project was announced as an A$6.5 million package, potentially including A$1.5 million from the council. The proposal included a separate field for senior teams, fencing, four changing rooms and additional football fields.
Shadow sports minister and Liberal Party senator Anne Ruston criticised the decision-making process, saying that setting an amount before preparing a business case was not proper scrutiny. Butler responded that his office had repeatedly discussed the future redevelopment with the council, and that the election pledge was consistent with previous practice and Commonwealth grant rules.
The project was funded under the A$560 million Major and Local Community Infrastructure program, for which applications were accepted by invitation only. A Senate inquiry is to examine what role ministers and MPs may have played in selecting projects for funding during the 2025 election campaign.
