By Chris Georgakopoulos

24 February 2015 - Canterbury-Bankstown Express

THE transformation of Belmore Sports Ground remains alive despite the organising committee failing to meet a deadline to secure further funding.

Canterbury Council, NRL club Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and football team Sydney Olympic successfully applied for a $4 million federal grant for the Sydney Multicultural Arts and Sports precinct in 2013.

Each organisation pledged money to the project but need a further $2.5 million grant from the State Government to complete the deal. But they failed to meet the December 23 deadline last year set by the Federal Government to secure state funding.

But federal Infrastructure Minister Warren Truss told The Express a new deadline of March 30 this year had been set.

"On February 6 a Variation Request was approved to extend the first four milestones however this does not affect their completion date of March 14, 2017," a spokesman for the minister said.

The project would include two new grandstands for 1700 people, performance and visual arts spaces and a 2km walkway linking the facility to railway stations.

The Bulldogs and Sydney Olympic both secured the ground as their home for a further 20 years recently.

Bulldogs chief executive Raelene Castle said she was confident funding would be provided to start the project.

"We continue to be in dialogue with (NSW Premier) Mike Baird after meeting him just after Christmas."