Page 4448 - Week 15 - Tuesday, 19 November 1991
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I think it is important for us in that consideration to take into account a certain social justice aspect of this development. I do not use that term "social injustice" lightly, as indeed other members of this Assembly have in recent times with reference to the private school funding debate. There are social injustice aspects of the leasehold system. If we allow this development to go ahead, I think we ought to be aware of the gift that we as a community will be providing for the Forrest bowling club. That must not be lost sight of.
Just imagine if a sporting body in this town came to this Government, or to this Assembly, and said, "We would like to have $200,000 or $400,000, in order to develop our facilities". What do you, Minister for Sport, think the answer would be? I will tell you what it would be. It would be, "How the hell could we find the money?". That is what we should be asking ourselves here. How the hell could we find the money to donate it to a sporting club? If the site is to be redeveloped - and that is another question that I will take on in a minute - why should the money go to a very few people for these particular facilities? In fact, it is suggested that the club is hoping to attract 150 new members with this development.
The development we are talking about is expected to cost $3.3m. What will be the increase in the value of the land? We can all attempt to imagine what it will be. There will be a valuation, no doubt, and the club will need to pay a 50 per cent betterment tax. So, just what will our donation be if we approve this development? What will we as an Assembly provide by way of donation to the Forrest bowling club, which is hoping to increase membership by 150 through our donation?
Is it really socially just that we provide that kind of funding to a small group of people? Considering that the land was in effect given to the club almost free, for peanuts, and that the rental on it has been peanuts, is it equitable that this club should be allowed to make a profit from speculating on the land by changing the lease purpose to allow for residential development? Quite clearly, it is not.
So, what should the land be used for? If the land is going to be developed, then it should come back to the community as a whole and be developed by the wish of the community and to the profit of the community. To put it another way, at the very least we should be charging 100 per cent betterment tax on the increase in the value of the land, if we can find an equitable and reasonable way to value land. That is the first point.
The second point is that, whilst we are busily trying to encourage people out into the sporting areas, whilst governments spend a fortune on health promotion and on getting people out to play sport, we have side by side one successful sporting facility and one sporting facility that
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