Page 431 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 21 February 1990
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This Government has been in office for two months. We have now lain a sports policy on the table. Additional policies are being prepared; that is to be understood. But this Government has also announced a number of initiatives, looked at a number of items and raised a number of very exciting questions for the development of sport in Canberra in the near future. The training track at Fairbairn is one of them.
There are also big possibilities in the potential for an international standard 2,000-metre rowing course, with the construction of the Eastern Parkway. The fact that fill from the roadworks there is being extracted so that a dry basin of required rowing course dimensions is being created has raised the question of whether something could be done with that. The Government has asked for more information in relation to the costing of that project and its possibilities. That could be a very big plus for Canberra if the costings are right.
The ACT Government is keen to promote Canberra as a venue for major sporting events. One initiative for which the past Labor Government certainly cannot claim any credit is the attempts to persuade the Australian Cricket Board to supply us with an international cricket match at that remarkable venue, Manuka Oval. We are hopeful of getting something there in the next couple of years. That is certainly something for which you cannot claim any credit.
Despite all of Mrs Grassby's rhetoric about women, I note that in the second last paragraph on page 1 of the Labor policy there is mention of women, but there do not seem to be any further statements. So perhaps she is having herself on.
Mr Whalan said that there are 120,000 registered participants in sport in the ACT. He is wrong; I think it is about 122,000. Certainly sport is very popular in the ACT, and the Alliance Government recognises that. We recognise the social and economic importance of sport and recreation to our community. Programs which are administered by the ACT Office of Sport, Recreation and Racing aim at developing participation in sport and recreation activities, which increases community health and fitness levels as well as promote employment, tourism and financial growth.
With the Attorney-General being the Minister responsible for sport, and me as the Executive Deputy assisting him on sporting, racing and recreation matters, we have enabled the sporting community greater access to government and we enable continuing consultations to take place with it.
In relation to swimming facilities at Tuggeranong, last week this Government made a commitment which I submit is quite different from the hollow commitment that the Labor Party would have people believe it had made. This Government will continue to provide quality services to
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