Page 3397 - Week 12 - Tuesday, 11 October 1994
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1997 Masters Games
MRS GRASSBY: My question is to the Deputy Chief Minister in his capacity as Minister for Sport, and I congratulate him on this. Can the Minister tell the Assembly what will be the benefit to the ACT from the Masters Games to be held in Canberra in 1997?
Mr Kaine: Tell us about the best Sports Minister in Australia.
MR LAMONT: Thank you, Mr Kaine, for finally recognising that point. Madam Speaker, I thank the member for her question. It is an important announcement that has been made by the Confederation of Australian Sport, and that is that the application, sponsored by the ACT Government on behalf of sport in the ACT, to have the Masters Games for 1997 awarded to Canberra has been successful.
The question of what benefit will be derived from the Masters Games is not just a matter of the economic benefit derived from visitation numbers and the numbers of people who will be participating. It is anticipated that between 6,000 and 8,000 athletes will register for the games in the ACT. That figure is taken from anticipated attendance numbers for Melbourne in 1995 and from examples of participation rates in Adelaide and at other venues in recent years. Madam Speaker, the additional impact upon the ACT will be from activities that will lead up to and go beyond these Masters Games, as far as mature-age sport is concerned. It is proposed to use the Masters Games as a catalyst to promote recreational sport, particularly amongst our older population. The Masters Games, as I have said, will provide an appropriate catalyst for that to happen.
The bid that was made by the ACT Government on behalf of sport had overwhelming support within the Canberra community. The ACT Sport and Recreation Council, ACTSport, the tourism industry and many individual sporting and business organisations, along with the Australian Institute of Sport, indicated their support for Canberra's bid for the 1997 games. Madam Speaker, we specifically chose the 1997 games as a preferred target date for Canberra to host such a prestigious event. We saw it as an opportunity, as I have said, not only to promote recreational and health and lifestyle issues for our older population, but also as part of a series of activities in the lead-up to and beyond the 2000 Olympic Games.
The Government will be in a position in the coming weeks to report to the house on the outcome of the meeting of the 2000 Committee that was established following the awarding of the Olympic Games to Sydney, and on what is proposed by the Government to replace that committee to allow for the strategy that they have developed to be carried forward. I am very pleased that it is acknowledged as part of that overall longer-term strategy that we should apply for events such as the Masters Games, and I am quite pleased, as far as that strategy is concerned, that we have already been able to secure a substantial plank in that strategy by being awarded these games.
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