A SPORTS stadium in Cockburn Central has inched forwards with the Abbott government deciding to honour Labor’s $10 million pledge towards the project.

The funding had been in doubt following the Coalition’s September victory, as all the paperwork had not been signed off. Regional affairs minister Warren Truss had said Cockburn council and the Dockers would have to re-apply for the funds but—in the latest backflip from a new government that’s proving remarkably elastic—he decided instead to simply re- approve the project.

Dockers CEO Steve Rosich is “very pleased” with the announcement: “The City of Cockburn’s regional physical activity and education centre at Cockburn Central West—which will be home to the Fremantle Dockers’ new elite training and administration facility—is an important community project,” he told the Herald.

“The world-class facilities at Cockburn Central West will place the club at the absolute forefront of integrated elite sporting and community facilities in Australia. The Fremantle Dockers look forward to continuing to progress the project with the City of Cockburn.”

The $113m stadium now has $65m pledged from the council and $10m from the federal government. To date the Barnett government hasn’t promised a cent, nor indicated it will, leaving the project $38m short, with little indication from council or the club about where it’ll come from.