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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1999 Week 3 Hansard (25 March) . . Page.. 870 ..

MR MOORE (continuing):

Decisions to offer a VR will be based on its impact on the capacity of the Department to achieve its business goals -

in other words, they will be targeted -

as well as the direct implications for the local work area concerned.

In other words, they will be targeted. But we have to start somewhere, Mr Berry. This was the very reason the chief executive officer of the Department of Health, Mr Butt, was consulting with the union.

Mr Quinlan: I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. Do we have to debate this or should we just have a statement of the facts and end of story? It was a question that the Chief Minister answered, and Mr Moore has now entered the debate phase.

MR SPEAKER: He is responding to a letter.

MR MOORE: I am just finishing, Mr Speaker. I have five or six words to say.

MR SPEAKER: I understand that Mr Moore is winding up.

MR MOORE: I am, Mr Speaker. In my last five or six words I would say that Mr Berry might like to apologise to the Assembly.

MARKETING MAJOR EVENTS

MR SPEAKER: I have received a letter from Mr Hird proposing that a matter of public importance be submitted to the Assembly for discussion, namely:

The benefit to the Canberra community and economy of major events, and the need to market those events.

MR HIRD (3.54): Mr Speaker, tourism is worth $222m a year to the Canberra economy, and much of that revenue is generated through events. It is the enormous magnitude of this contribution to Canberra and the region which has prompted me to bring this issue forward today as a matter of public importance. It is important, Mr Speaker - no, it is vital - that members of this parliament recognise the significance to the community and to our economy of the extraordinary program of events which occur within the Territory. It is equally vital that members support all efforts made by the Government and the community to attract and keep these events in Canberra.

The benefits, as stated earlier, are enormous. For instance, the recent Royal Canberra Show generated a known economic benefit of around $8m this year. It is accurately described in the show's annual report as "the ACT's biggest all ages event". The Summernats Street Machine Car Festival brings in $10m a year, the National Folk

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