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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 11 Hansard (6 November) . . Page.. 3727 ..

MS TUCKER: I have a supplementary question. Yes, thank you, I would like the information. As one of the major shareholders, are you personally committed to offering this greater flexibility and the right for businesses to be part of the scheme?

MR KAINE: Yes, I am. In fact, I thought I had already indicated that when I announced the green tariff a week or so ago.

Ms Tucker: But the flexibility and businesses, particularly.

MR KAINE: The Government will be working with ACTEW on this. It is a government instrumentality. It will not sit out there in glorious isolation and come up with some scheme which the Government then may or may not find acceptable, depending on what its cost to the community is. In short, yes.

MR CORBELL: Mr Speaker, my question is to the Minister for Sport, Mr Stefaniak. Minister, can you explain why fees have increased for people using ACT government sportsgrounds, and in particular sportsgrounds which have pavilions?

MR STEFANIAK: Mr Corbell, it is common practice, I think, around Australia for most councils to try to recoup through fees about 10 per cent of what it costs them to run their sportsgrounds. We are now, effectively, as a result of our fee increases, around about that level. About two years ago we were at about 8.5 per cent. Running sportsgrounds is a very costly business. It has to be tempered, however, by the fact that we want as many members of the community as possible to utilise them. There is always a balancing act there, Mr Corbell. It is something I certainly would prefer not to do. I would like to keep them absolutely dirt cheap, but you do have to look at whole-of-government considerations. You have to look at the increased costs in terms of things like watering and maintenance. You also have to look at the increased costs in the area in which you live, Mr Corbell, for example. We have produced a few new sportsgrounds. The Nicholls playing ground is one of the prime examples there. With growing areas in Canberra there is a demand for new sportsgrounds, so the bill always keeps going up. There is a need to ensure that the contribution made by the community is reasonable and, accordingly, we have made these increases.

I am advised now that our increases bring us to about 10 per cent of running costs of sportsgrounds. That is the optimum. I certainly would not be proposing to go above that. I think that is a rate that is pretty well accepted amongst local councils throughout Australia. I think it is reasonable. It balances all the competing necessities and needs in relation to sportsgrounds. I think we are now at that rate. I appreciate that with some groups there are always some difficulties. I think most are handling it very well. I see occasionally a few groups who do have some special needs. If it is at all possible, I try to take those into account; but I think you have to appreciate the very great cost of running sportsgrounds. Basically, that 10 per cent rule is a common one throughout Australia, and a quite reasonable one, I think.

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