Anthony Albanese was invited to attend a media opportunity to celebrate a $6 million upgrade to Marrickville Golf Club days before the ABC revealed he held an undisclosed honorary membership, documents show.
The "Royal Marrickville" was promised the money for a major face lift by the prime minister during the 2025 federal election campaign as part of more than $500 million in grant funding for projects that heavily favoured Labor seats.
This week a Senate inquiry examined whether the government used the money to pork-barrel seats, and whether there were any conflicts of interest as to who was chosen for invite-only grant funding.
Documents obtained under Freedom of Information laws show Transport Minister Catherine King's office invited Mr Albanese to attend the event on September 4, five days before his links to the club were reported.
A senior adviser to the prime minister responded that it would be good for Mr Albanese to attend the photo opportunity.
"This is a good one and important locally — would support!" The adviser responded.
The media opportunity, proposed for September 12, did not go ahead.
The documents also detail the purpose of the $6.05 million grant promised by the prime minister to the club, which it noted would be contracted sometime that month.
The prime minister claimed on the floor of the House of Representatives on September 9 that the grant's purpose was to fix a septic issue at the club.
"Because it is on the flood plain, when it floods in Marrickville raw sewage flows into the Cooks River — that is what the funding is for," Mr Albanese said.
But the department brief to his office made no reference to sewerage fixes.
"The project will deliver a refurbished Marrickville Golf clubhouse and precinct, creating an enhanced environment for the community to enjoy gatherings for recreation," the brief stated.
Along with bar and alfresco dining upgrades, it said the grant would support a new pro shop, toilets, a "dog walking station" and stormwater harvesting to help water the courses.
"The project will increase the club's ability to earn revenue, attract more members, visitors and casual golfers (and) improve community access to open space," the brief said.
Inner West Council Mayor Darcy Byrne, who previously worked as a staffer to Mr Albanese, confirmed on Wednesday that the NSW government was delivering sewerage fixes.
Mr Byrne said they were going to be completed using the $6.05 million until the state government brought forward its own grant funding.
Despite that work now being funded under a different program, Mr Byrne could not confirm that the overall spend on the golf club would fall, saying renovation design works were still being finalised.
Bridget McKenzie has accused the prime minister has of misleading the public. (ABC News: Peter Garnish)
Shadow Infrastructure Minister Bridget McKenzie said Mr Albanese had misled parliament.
“It is clear the prime minister has written a blank cheque to his Marrickville Golf Club and misled the parliament about it,” she said.
“Mr Albanese said the $6 million grant for his neighbourhood golf club was to fix sewerage, a proposition debunked by the responsible department in hearings today.
“Eighteen months after the fact, the golf club is now working up a design to spend the promised money.”
Mr Albanese has a decades-long association with the club, but has told parliament he has not attended it for years.
The MP for Grayndler used to live around the corner from the club and regularly walked his dog Toto there.
In September the ABC reported that Mr Albanese held an honorary membership to the club that he had not disclosed on his register of interests. He was given the membership more than a decade ago.
Following that report, the prime minister wrote to the club to decline his membership.