Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1996 Week 13 Hansard (5 December) . . Page.. 4421 ..

MR DE DOMENICO (continuing):

Other features of the Bill are the seven-member structure of the corporation, with one member being a public servant; provision for a chief executive officer; the ability to contract consultants; the requirement for the corporation to comply with the Financial Management Act; and the requirement to provide information to the Minister on request. A key element of the Bill is the flexibility it provides to the corporation in relation to commercially oriented joint venture arrangements with the private sector. This partnership arrangement will assist businesses that have the potential to benefit from tourism to boost their returns - a key outcome in a sector which already employs many of the ACT's youth.

Mr Speaker, the Government sees the move to a statutory corporation in a positive light. It is anticipated that the Government will provide the corporation with similar funding over the next three years. However, in the long term it is expected that the flexibility provided by this Bill will see a much more self-sufficient industry. The Canberra Tourism and Events Corporation is not a Territory-owned corporation under the Territory Owned Corporations Act or a statutory authority with regulatory functions. It is a body corporate with the legal capacity of a natural person relying on common law notions within the framework of a corporation. It will have the same powers or subset of powers as a natural person. However, those powers are limited by the statutory provisions contained in the Bill. In general, these limitations relate to the employment power of the Public Sector Management Act, the provisions of the Financial Management Act and the requirement to have a detailed business plan. The Canberra Tourism and Events Corporation will be required to produce a business plan containing three-year financial projections and directions in order to provide the Government and the ACT with strategies and expected outcomes from tourism in the ACT.

The existing and new staff of the corporation will be employed under the Public Sector Management Act and the current enterprise bargaining agreement. It is intended that when the current enterprise bargaining agreement expires in September 1998 a new Canberra Tourism and Events Corporation enterprise bargaining agreement will be established. The nature of the corporation and the industry in which it operates is such that the industry must increasingly begin to reflect and respond to the peak periods of demand for its service - periods which are not necessarily relevant to the standard Public Service model. Mr Speaker, development of a corporate model has been undertaken in full consultation with the staff and the relevant unions. This process of constructive consultation will continue into the new organisation and in discussions regarding a new enterprise bargaining agreement to be operational in 1998.

Under the new arrangements the chief executive officer of the Canberra Tourism and Events Corporation will have the employment powers of a chief executive under the Public Sector Management Act. The current chief executive officer of Canberra Tourism has agreed to continue as the chief executive officer of the Canberra Tourism and Events Corporation, thereby demonstrating confidence in the new arrangements and adding stability in the time of transition.

With the new corporation will come a greater focal point for events management in the ACT. Mr Speaker, the success of the Rally of Canberra under the management of Canberra Tourism will be further enhanced with the transfer of other events to the corporation, thereby maximising the expertise and resources of that organisation.

Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . .