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

Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1999 Week 2 Hansard (11 March) . . Page.. 585 ..

Bruce Stadium

MR QUINLAN: Mr Speaker, my question is to the Chief Minister and it relates to Bruce Stadium. I would just like to get some information in relation to the sale of the membership packages.

Mr Osborne: How much were the hot dogs?

MR QUINLAN: And a small glass of red to go with it? I just wonder how the revenue from the membership package sales is distributed. For example, a double-diamond membership package includes entry to all Raiders, Brumbies and Cosmos games for five years. Is that money in any way then distributed back to those clubs, and according to what formula?

MS CARNELL: There is a whole raft of different membership packages available for the new Bruce Stadium, and a lot of these membership approaches are new approaches that have not really been available before. Gold or diamond members have access to a range of benefits, including grandstand seating for the Brumbies, the Raiders and the Cosmos games; first option for tickets to all other events; access to members lounge and the bar in the eastern stand; and car parking.

A wide range of differentially priced products has also been developed to meet the needs of the Canberra market, including some specifically aimed at existing Raiders' and Brumbies' supporters' bases. The take-up rate amongst these supporters has been terrific, because it is a new stadium with great facilities. It is a really good outcome generally, Mr Speaker. So, you can go from everything from the old, straight season pass all the way through to gold, diamond, double-diamond and all sorts of different products.

Mr Speaker, because these are new products, there is ongoing evaluation of market take-up and continuing reworking of these packages. The evaluation of the products' performance will be set against the revenue and expenditure targets of the stadium's business plan. After a test phase of the direct marketing program, it has been clear that Canberrans have been hesitant about investing in some of these more expensive memberships. They wanted to wait and see what the stadium would be like and how their teams performed. But, Mr Speaker, I am absolutely confident that, after the absolutely wonderful match on Friday night with over 20,000 Canberrans present and the Raiders performing absolutely brilliantly - even against my old team, Mr Speaker, very much my old team now - I am sure that people will be very interested in taking up those deals in the future.

Mr Speaker, with regard to how the actual dollars are allocated, I understand that gold memberships are $5,000 plus $300 a year and double-diamond memberships are $3,000 plus $600. I would assume that the way those dollars are allocated is via Bruce Operations. Of course, the general revenue from the operation of the stadium flows into Bruce Operations. Of course, expenditure comes out of Bruce Operations Pty Ltd and Bruce Operations handles the ongoing return to the investors and so on, Mr Speaker. That is the basis of Bruce Operations.

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