Page 324 - Week 03 - Wednesday, 31 May 1989
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rugby like any other person who comes from those particular States, or the majority anyway. It is a pity that we have to see such a great national facility destroyed to provide that for the people of the ACT and surrounding districts.
Having attended games at the Seiffert Oval, I would suggest that there is nothing more enjoyable than getting close to the game of rugby league, right down to the wire, so to speak, where the field is much closer. I suggest that that is what really rugby league is all about. As Mr Stefaniak has already said, it is still possible to play the various codes of football at similar stadiums throughout the world. I noted that Mr Wood suggested that the stadium must be made to pay for itself, and that is the key to my whole argument.
Once again it would seem that the major problem is the cost of maintaining the facility and making sure that it is fully utilised. I note also with interest the comments by Mr Wood that athletic meetings could be held in the stadium - that is, the one that is to be upgraded or the warm-up track. My understanding is that a major event like the World Cup could not be held without a warm-up track. The International Athletics Association would not run such a facility unless a suitable warm-up track were constructed.
That means that if we were to go back to what happened some years ago the main stadium would have to be reconstructed so that the track would have to be relaid. The question we must ask ourselves is: Who would pay for that major cost? One of the reasons that we in the Rally have some concern about the proposal relates especially to the cost. I suggest that if the Raiders are to move to the stadium, they should do so in such a way that does not allow the athletics track to be removed.
In closing, Mr Speaker, I wish to raise one point that has been overlooked in this debate, and that is a major planning issue. I refer, of course, to the access facilities to the stadium before and after an event that is being held out in that area. Those members who have attended a concert or any other major function at that particular facility will know the problems that that particular traffic causes. That has also been the cause of some complaints to us in the Rally regarding concerns about the use of the facility for major events.
Therefore, we must once again ask ourselves: Who is to pay for the upgrading of the access facilities to this particular area? Who is to pay for the road system? Has it been included in the costs about which we have been hearing - the $5m or $6.5m? No one more than I would like to see the Raiders come to Canberra, as I have already said, but it should not be at the expense of much needed health, welfare and education facilities for our community, because I am sure that that is what will happen in the stringent budgetary constraints that we are about to face.
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