Sydney council strikes sponsorship deal worth up to $2.4 million with Parramatta Eels
The logo of Parramatta Council will adorn the jerseys of Parramatta Eels players in a sponsorship deal worth up to $2.4 million that has been derided by its mayor as an unwise use of ratepayer funds.
A late-night closed council meeting on Monday voted to strike a three-year partnership with the powerhouse NRL club for advertising and community sports clinics. A report given to councillors indicated the total cost of the agreement would be worth up to $2.47 million. In the first year, $383,500 has been committed to the deal, with the rest to be confirmed in 2024.
Labor mayor Pierre Esber, who voted against the arrangement, said the sponsorship was “not the best use of council money when people are struggling to put food on the table”.
“Spending this kind of money right now … is this value for the City of Parramatta?” he said. “But that was the will of the chamber, which I accept.”
Along with the mayor, four councillors voted against the deal and nine supported it.
Parramatta Council’s $383,500 will be spent on “shared strategic areas” of community, brand and visitation in the first year of the agreement, according to a recommendation in the report. The council, however, could amend the spending breakdown for the second and third years of the deal.
