Page 279 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 31 May 1989
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I endorse also the Civic Advance Bank article in "Trends". I liked it very much indeed. I commend the anonymous author of that article. The author will understand I have one minor quarrel, one small hiccup, about what he or she said about section 19. But that is put in as only a small hiccup and at this point I will not say very much about the section 19 development. That is under the care of a select committee under the chairmanship of Mr Humphries, and the Assembly today is not the place to deal with that.
I would, however, in view of some of the comments made, like to answer some things that have been said. In particular, I would like to worry about the notion of people staying for one extra night, because I would like them to stay for an extra week, an extra month, an extra year or three years. Indeed, may I say I first came to this city as a tourist, and look what has happened to me. It is only Bill Stefaniak who was born here. The other 16 of us all came, presumably, for other reasons - and here we all are. So I would like to think of the city itself as a marvellous attraction in all sorts of ways, not for just one night but for very long periods. It would be a bit of a problem, would it not, if every tourist decided to stay here?
I would like to argue that when we attract tourists for that extra night or two nights or a week we do not encourage them to lose money here; that is, if they do lose money here, surely that will mean they will stay one less night, not one more night. Furthermore, the money they would lose is money that they could otherwise spend within the economy of the city, in the retail developments in the city.
We need to be sure that visitors leave Canberra with a positive sense of our city, not only for their sake and for our sake but also because of the word of mouth advertising they represent.
I especially endorse Norman Jensen's thought about all the school children and their parents and families who could come here and spread the word about this city. Certainly we should attack the notion, in any way, that it is a boring place. The 17 of us, of course, are tourist attractions.
A member: Some more than others.
DR KINLOCH: None of us? We want to be sure, Mr Speaker, that visitors and tourists will have stayed here for as long as possible in a range of ways, to see the city as a planned city - that above all, surely - as the bush capital, as the beautiful place we know it to be.
We need them to stay here to get a sense of their national institutions. I very much endorse the new facilities, the new support, that will be given to these bodies that will encourage tourism. I ask that those bodies make sure that
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