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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 3 Hansard (8 April) . . Page.. 664 ..

MR HIRD (continuing):

enough to consider this Bill and look at the growth initiative that this Government is trying to introduce. The creation of the Canberra Tourism and Events Corporation will allow the organisation to get on with its business of promoting the Territory to domestic and international travellers and encouraging them to increase their visitations, spending and lengths of stay.

The Bill provides for the corporation to establish and operate events and festivals. A central unit within the corporation will provide one-stop shopping, Mr Speaker, for existing and potential events to be capitalised on. This is a service which has been sadly lacking, in particular during the term of the Follett Government. Events and festivals are key creators of visitation and economic impact for not only the ACT, Mr Speaker, but the region. The ACT will benefit greatly from centralising and rationalising the management, marketing and administration of key events such as Floriade and the Rally of Canberra within the corporation and by adding an event "prospecting" role, to secure new events and to increase some of the events within the ACT such as the Royal Canberra Show.

With corporatisation will come a greater focus on events management, with emphasis on maximising and utilising the existing expertise and resources of the various events organisations that will come under the corporation's umbrella. It is a significant step in maximising the social and economic benefits of tourism and events to the Territory. In particular, the industry has been striving since 1974 to gain this undertaking from a government.

The corporation's principal function will be to market the Territory to interstate and international travellers and, by doing so, to assist businesses that have the potential to benefit from tourism to boost their returns - a key element in job creation.

Mr Corbell: It is what they already do now, Harold. What is new about the Bill?

MR HIRD: Mr Corbell, can I just ask you, sir: What would you do? You had five years. What would you do?

Mr Corbell: I was not here five years ago.

MR HIRD: What did you do during those five years? Zilch, nothing.

Mr Corbell: This Bill changes nothing.

MR HIRD: So, what would you do? Come up with answers. We put our money where our mouth is. At least we know that the industry needs support, Mr Speaker. This is a Bill which should receive the total support of all members of this chamber. I commend the legislation, and I commend the Government for the initiative.

MS TUCKER (11.39): Mr Speaker, tourism is a very big industry in the ACT, and both Labor and Liberal are keen to promote tourism as a vehicle for economic expansion in the ACT. It does indeed create many jobs in the ACT, and it injects a substantial amount of money into the local economy. The Greens are not against economic growth or economic activity per se; but we firmly believe that tourism, like any other industry, must work

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