Page 1474 - Week 05 - Wednesday, 17 April 1991
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SUMMER STREET MACHINE NATIONALS 1990
Ministerial Statement and Papers
MR COLLAERY (Attorney-General), by leave: On Wednesday, 12 December 1990, I stated in the Legislative Assembly that I would be tabling reports on the conduct and impact of the 1990 Summer Street Machine Nationals, known colloquially as the Summernats. This commitment was in response to comments by members of the Assembly on the behaviour of participants and the benefits to the community. I am now in a position to table two reports on the 1990 Summernats.
The first is a police report prepared by the Chief Police Officer for the ACT. It shows that overall the Chief Police Officer is pleased with the conduct of the 1990 event and that this can be attributed to the early planning undertaken by the Australian Federal Police, my colleague Mr Duby's Department of Urban Services, and Street Machine Services and Natex. I am advised that police did not encounter the extent of illegal activities, including drunk and disorderly behaviour and dangerous driving, experienced in the 1989 Summernats. From a statistical point of view, although they may not necessarily reflect the gravity of conduct, the 1990 statistics were: 115 charges and 686 traffic breaches, compared with 217 charges and 825 traffic breaches during the 1989 event. Further, Mr Speaker, whilst there were several complaints from residents in the suburbs of Downer and Watson concerning disruptive behaviour, the number of complaints was well down on the 1989 event.
The second report is an analysis of the economic benefits of the 1990 Summernats to the ACT. It provides estimates of the number of visitors attracted by the event and their expenditure. The report estimates that 17,500 interstate tourists visited the ACT for the Summernats and spent $5m. The incremental cost to the ACT Government due to the Summernats was approximately $111,000. The net economic benefit to the local economy was therefore about $4.9m. This economic benefit to the ACT economy is especially significant because the spending has a high employment generation effect.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the police officers and the public officials, particularly members of the Chief Minister's and Mr Duby's departments, who have assisted in preparing these comprehensive reports. I would also like to say that the Summernats clearly will be a matter for continued consideration by government in the context of the overall benefit to the community and matters that were still, and perhaps still are, of concern to residents in the suburbs of Downer and Watson. Mr Speaker, I commend the reports to members of the Assembly for their information, and move:
That the Assembly takes note of the papers.
Debate (on motion by Mr Connolly) adjourned.
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