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

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 5 Hansard (15 May) . . Page.. 1484 ..

MRS CARNELL: That is just a tragic question, Mr Speaker. The Bega Cooperative approached the ACT Government, not the other way round. They approached us because they were looking at setting up a new packaging plant. This is not an existing packaging plant. There will be no jobs lost in Bega, Mr Speaker. This is a new packaging plant. In fact, at least some of the packaging of Bega cheese is currently done in Victoria, not in the Bega area at all. There is no doubt that, just as our Chamber of Commerce would like Bega to come to Canberra, their Chamber of Commerce would like the new factory to be in Bega. Is that a big surprise? In fact, if the Chamber of Commerce had come out with a statement saying, "We would love the new packaging plant to go to Canberra", I would have been very surprised. Similarly, I would be surprised if our Chamber of Commerce suggested that they would like the new packaging plant to go to Bega.

Mr Speaker, we all compete to get new jobs to our own areas. We were very pleased when the Bega Cooperative came to Canberra, came to us, not the other way round, and asked us what we could do for them in the setting-up of the new factory. The sorts of things that we put to them were the business incentive approaches that we have been putting to lots of companies. There were no bribes; no bribes at all. We negotiated a position between the Bega Cooperative and the ACT Government - one that includes, as I understand it, some payroll tax exemptions, some land and, I think, a small amount of relocation or location money. This is not an existing plant, Mr Speaker, but poor old Mr Whitecross does not understand that. It is not a question of moving a plant that actually exists. It is a brand-new plant. The reason why Bega were keen to come to Canberra was that there were problems at that stage, and still are, with the building of this plant on the site adjacent to the current Bega factory. It is on a flood plain and the Bega Cooperative believe it would cost them an extra $2m to build it there. I understand that members of the Bega Cooperative are currently seeing the New South Wales Government. I am sure that the New South Wales Government will suggest some alternative approach, but far be it from me to make that point.

Mr Speaker, the bottom line here is that they believe they can build this plant in Canberra for $2m less than they can build it for on the site in Bega. The benefit to Canberra is not only a state-of-the-art packaging plant with over 100 jobs. They are also looking at having a viewing platform in the factory and cheese tastings to encourage tourists to know more about Bega cheese and the Bega area. I understand that we are looking at an approach which would include Canberra and district wines in that tourist facility. The ACT gets 1.7 million tourists a year, significantly more than the Bega area does. The Bega Cooperative believes that by giving tourists an opportunity to see the Bega product in a tourist-type facility at the plant they will encourage more tourists to go to Bega. That sort of facility would not achieve the same thing at Bega.

Mr Whitecross: The Bega Chamber of Commerce does not seem to think so.

Mr Humphries: What a surprise!

MRS CARNELL: What a surprise, Mr Speaker! Mr Speaker, they approached us. I think they have a very good proposition. Whenever a company interested in setting up in the ACT and creating more than 100 jobs in Canberra wants to come and talk to my Government, we will talk to them, Mr Speaker. The bottom line is that it means more jobs.

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