Written by: Paul Ellercamp - St George Leader
(from R2K:  R2Khttp://www.r2k.info/)

Kogarah Mayor Jim Taylor is planning to ask St George Leagues Club to guarantee a public appeal for funds to support the return of the Dragons to Jubilee Oval.

With the three St.George councils expected to tip $50,000 each into a fund to be set up to support the return, this would probably mean the club guaranteeing around $250,000.

The total amount of $400,000 is needed to match a grant that the Council itself will seek from the State Government to support the return of the Dragons to play initially five games a season at Kogarah.

Under the terms of the Regional Sports Facility Program, applicants must guarantee a matching amount in order to qualify for funding. The maximum amount the fund can provide is $400,000.

It is understood that under the plan being formulated by the three St.George Councils - Kogarah, Rockdale and Hurstville - the club would fund improvements at Jubilee Oval, which would be paid as funds are raised from the community.

The community campaign would retain a professional fundraiser as director.

It will be led by a committee including the three local mayors - Cr Taylor, Cr Vince Badalati (Hurstville) and Cr Shaoquett Moselmane (Rockdale) - the Dragons football club chief executive Peter Doust, St.George Rugby League General Manager Robert Stone and the three local MPs, George Thompson (Rockdale), Cherie Burton (Kogarah), and Kevin Greene (Georges River).

Cr Taylor told Kogarah Council on Monday that the bill for improvements to Jubilee Oval would run between $700,000 and $800,000. In a mayoral report, he said the other two councils would let him know by today how much they would contribute to the fund from next year's budget.

It is understood that the amount being sought from each of the Councils is $50,000.

After that, Cr Taylor said, "the mayors will then meet with the CEO of St.George Leagues Club to discuss funding support for the project and also a guarantee of matching the total grant funds so as to enable the grant application to be lodged".

The application must be lodged by September 11.

Mayor Taylor will seek formal approval to go ahead with the plan from Kogarah Council's next meeting on September 9.

Related articles:
01/09/02, The future of St George
03/09/02, St George councils seek manager

For information on home ground issues and the search for a St George home ground - click here

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