newy.com.au – Major upgrades to Mallabula Sports Complex and Abermain’s football fields are among 30 community projects awarded NSW Government grants in a funding round worth about $10.5 million supporting the Hunter and Mid-Coast.
The grants are part of the $50 million Active Regional Communities Package, supported through the government’s Regional Development Trust Fund. The recipients include councils, sporting clubs, Aboriginal land councils and community organisations. Several grants cover programs operating across multiple council areas, including the Hunter, rather than a single local project.
Port Stephens Council will receive $999,880 for upgrades to Mallabula Sports Complex. Port Stephens MP Kate Washington said the work would include “a new international-size multipurpose competition field and upgraded infrastructure to meet the needs of our growing community”.
Wheelchair Sports NSW/ACT has also been allocated $36,000 for the 2026 Adaptive Lawn Bowls Festival, which Ms Washington said would return to Raymond Terrace.
In Cessnock, Abermain Rams Football Club will receive $952,500 to level and reorient its main and training fields and improve drainage, irrigation and turf. The project is intended to improve safety and support junior and female football, regional competitions and wider community use.
Weston District Workers Co-operative Club has been awarded $800,000 to upgrade meeting spaces for use as an evacuation centre and support community inclusion, including transport. Separately, Cessnock City Council will receive $400,000 for the Greta Central Oval amenities building, while Kurri Kurri Minor Rugby League has been allocated $15,000 for training equipment and ground maintenance.
Two of the largest grants for local projects are in Lake Macquarie. Awabakal Local Aboriginal Land Council will receive $1 million for the Gayiyayiba Community Precinct. Biraban Local Aboriginal Land Council has been allocated $993,000 for its Biraban LALCademy program, covering land management, cultural heritage and skills to support a transition into employment.
Lake Macquarie City Football Club will receive $100,000 for LED lighting at Tredinnick Oval. The upgrade is intended to increase evening training capacity and support safe participation as its female playing group grows. West Lakes Community Tennis has been awarded $90,846 for court resurfacing, while Dudley Redhead Junior RLFC will receive $21,100 for secure storage in club sheds and the canteen.
Dungog Information and Neighbourhood Service has been allocated $743,200 for accessibility improvements at Dungog Community Hub. Planned work includes accessible bathrooms, a community kitchen, improved pathways and ramps, and changes to the internal layout to create more flexible spaces.
Ride Dungog Mountain Bike Club will receive a further $81,325 for trail construction and trailhead and safety signs at Dungog Mountain Bike Park.
Beyond infrastructure, the Australian Literacy and Numeracy Foundation will receive $95,000 for its Breakfast Library program in Maitland and the Mid-Coast. It combines nutritious breakfasts, shared reading activities and take-home books for disadvantaged children, aiming to improve literacy, school readiness and wellbeing.
Maitland MP Jenny Aitchison said the funding would help children, particularly those who were vulnerable, receive the nourishment and support they needed to arrive at school ready to learn. Other Maitland grants include $67,858 for Morpeth Junior Rugby League Club’s Bulls Girls and Pathways player development program and $31,343 for shade and seating at Lorn Park Bowls, Sports and Recreation Club.
In Newcastle, Gari Yala Aboriginal Cultural Fundraising Indigenous Corporation has been awarded $97,278 for its Newcastle women’s elders group. Manning Valley Neighbourhood Services will receive $202,000 for its Community Connect project on the Mid-Coast.
The Vines CC Foodcare has been allocated $96,782 to improve its Upper Hunter services, with the project listed in the Muswellbrook council area. Scone Hardcourt Tennis Association will receive $100,000 for an urgent lighting safety upgrade on courts five, six and seven at the Scone Tennis and Multi-Sport Precinct.
The largest grant listed is $1,410,408 to NSW Rugby Union for Rugby World Cup regional activation events across multiple council areas, including the Hunter. Talk2mebro will receive $1 million for its Regional Outreach and Connection Program, while the Alcohol and Drug Foundation has been allocated $784,514 for a program supporting participation in sport among at risk young people. Both also cover multiple areas, including the Hunter.
| Recipient | Funding | Project Description | LGA |
|---|---|---|---|
| NSW Rugby Union | $1,410,408 | Rugby World Cup Regional Activation Events | Multiple LGAs, including across the Hunter |
| Talk2mebro Incorporated | $1,000,000 | Talk2mebro Regional Outreach & Connection Program | Multiple LGAs, including across the Hunter |
| Awabakal Local Aboriginal Land Council | $1,000,000 | Gayiyayiba Community Precinct | Lake Macquarie City Council |
| Port Stephens Council | $999,880 | Mallabula Sports Complex Upgrades | Port Stephens Council |
| Biraban Local Aboriginal Land Council | $993,000 | Biraban LALCademy Stream 1 Land Management, Cultural Heritage, Skills to employment transition | Lake Macquarie City Council |
| Abermain Rams Football Club Inc. | $952,500 | Rams Football Field Rebirth Project | Cessnock City Council |
| Weston District Workers Co-operative Club Limited | $800,000 | Weston Workers Club – Meeting Spaces for Evacuation Centre and Community Inclusion, including transport | Cessnock City Council |
| Alcohol and Drug Foundation | $784,514 | Stronger Through Sport: Strengthening community participation through sport for at-risk youth | Multiple LGAs, including across the Hunter |
| Dungog Information and Neighbourhood Service | $743,200 | Dungog Community Hub Accessibility & Participation Project | Dungog Shire Council |
| Cessnock City Council | $400,000 | Greta Central Oval Amenities Building | Cessnock City Council |
| Manning Valley Neighbourhood Services Inc. | $202,000 | MVNS Community Connect | Mid-coast Council |
| Lake Macquarie City Football Club | $100,000 | Tredinnick Oval LED Lighting Upgrade to Increase Evening Training Capacity and Enable Safe, Inclusive Participation for a Growing Female Playing Group | Lake Macquarie City Council |
| Scone Hardcourt Tennis Association Incorporated | $100,000 | Urgent Lighting Safety Upgrade, Courts 5,6,7 Scone Tennis & Multi-Sport Precinct | Upper Hunter Shire Council |
| Mentor Walks | $100,000 | NSW Regional Women’s Mentor Walk & Talk Communities | Multiple LGAs, including across the Hunter |
| Volleyball NSW | $100,000 | NSW Beach Volleyball Tour – Regional Events, Workforce Development and Community Activation | Multiple LGAs, including across the Hunter |
| Gari Yala Aboriginal Cultural Fundraising Indigenous Corporation | $97,278 | Gari Yala Aboriginal Cultural Fundraising Indigenous Corporation Newcastle Womens Elders Group | Newcastle City Council |
| The Vines CC Foodcare | $96,782 | Enhancing Food Care’s services for the Upper Hunter | Muswellbrook Shire Council |
| The Australian Literacy and Numeracy Foundation (ALNF) | $95,000 | The Breakfast Library (Maitland City and Mid Coast) | Maitland City Council; Mid-coast Council |
| West Lakes Community Tennis Incorporated | $90,846 | Court resurface | Lake Macquarie City Council |
| Novaskill | $88,074 | Novaskill Building Futures: Mobile Carpentry Training for Regional Communities | Multiple LGAs, including across the Hunter |
| Trustee for Top Blokes Foundation | $84,341 | Strengthening Community Connection and Mentoring Support for Young Males in Dungog and Lake Macquarie | Dungog Shire Council; Mid-coast Council; Lake Macquarie City Council |
| Ride Dungog Mountain Bike Club Inc. | $81,325 | Trail Construction and Trailhead & Safety Signage to Support Safe Use and Ongoing Tourism at Dungog Mountain Bike Park | Dungog Shire Council |
| Morpeth Junior Rugby League Club INC | $67,858 | Bulls Girls & Pathways Player Development Program | Maitland City Council |
| Sher Foundation Ltd | $61,335 | Multicultural Active Bystander Program: Building CALD Youth Capability and Social Cohesion across Regional NSW | Multiple LGAs, including across the Hunter |
| Wheelchair Sports NSW/ACT Incorporated | $36,000 | Adaptive Lawn Bowls Festival 2026 | Port Stephens Council |
| Lorn Park Bowls, Sports and Recreation Club | $31,343 | Shade and Seating Project | Maitland City Council |
| Mount George School of Arts Reserve Land Manager | $21,621 | Mount George Hall Community Facility Upgrade | Mid-coast Council |
| Dudley Redhead Junior RLFC | $21,100 | Secure Lockable Storage for Club Sheds and Canteen | Lake Macquarie City Council |
| Kurri Kurri Minor Rugby League Inc | $15,000 | Training Equipment and Ground Maintenance | Cessnock City Council |
| Wherrol Flat Tennis Club Incorporated | $14,500 | Wherrol Flat Tennis Club Incorporated | Mid-coast Council |
