Page 3264 - Week 12 - Thursday, 19 November 1992
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
best sports facilities in the country. We also have a population which has a very high participation rate in sport and therefore a very high interest in sport. Clearly, there is more scope there. I believe, also, in cultural tourism in general. We have only just started to tap that market. Here in the national capital, with the nation's cultural institutions, we are in an excellent position to offer more to our visitors in the cultural line.
One area that is really right at the frontier of tourism development so far is what is known as ecotourism. I think Mr De Domenico touched on that with his reference to some high altitude sports training facilities. With 40 per cent of the Territory as national park, and subalpine national park at that, there is a great deal of scope for a different kind of tourism in this area, particularly for people who have an interest in ecology, for people who like bushwalking, backpacking, and so on. That is a whole new field which we have not tapped. It is an industry with a great future and an industry which is very important to the Territory. It will undoubtedly become more important, in my view, as our Territory spreads its economic base wider and becomes less reliant on the public sector for employment and for economic impetus. I thank Mr De Domenico for his comments in that regard.
I also thank him for his very generous comments about Mr Lawrance and the Tourism Commission. I share Mr De Domenico's view that Mr Lawrance and the commission have done an exceptional job, particularly over the past 12 to 18 months, in very difficult circumstances. I think it is appropriate to have an opposition spokesman commenting on our own public service in such a favourable way. It has certainly been very apparent to the tourist industry that there is a new broom in there, and that there is a new spirit of professionalism and a new zest for achievement. That has certainly paid off for the commission and for the whole of the ACT and the industry.
Madam Speaker, I am sure that we will have many more debates on tourism, as it is such an important industry. We will have debates on particular aspects of tourism as they arise and perhaps we will have disagreements on some of them. In the meantime, I welcome the support that I have heard from Mr De Domenico. With the existence of the Assembly's committee on tourism, we can look forward to this Assembly having a real place in further achievements in tourism for the Territory.
Question resolved in the affirmative.
Sitting suspended from 12 noon to 2.30 pm
MINISTERIAL ARRANGEMENTS
MS FOLLETT (Chief Minister and Treasurer): Madam Speaker, I inform the Assembly that during the absence of Mr Connolly members who have questions of Mr Connolly in any of his ministerial capacities should direct those questions to me.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .