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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 7 Hansard (28 June) . . Page.. 2148 ..
MS CARNELL
: I have to say, Mr Speaker, that I do not know of any six-figure payment to the Cosmos. Members of the Assembly will remember that the ACT government underwrote a loan for the Cosmos two or three years ago and that details of the loan were tabled in this place. The elite teams fund allocates $100,000 a year to the Cosmos, as it does to the Raiders and to the Brumbies, and then there are $50,000 a year payments to a number of other sports. That is an annual payment, but it is certainly not any sort of up-front payment or inducement payment to sign a contract.Mr Rugendyke
: It is $100,000 in the contract.MS CARNELL
: You might be talking about the elite teams fund.Mr Rugendyke
: I might be wrong.MS CARNELL
: You might be right, too. I must admit that I have not seen those closed contracts. With regard to whether the Cosmos continue to play at Bruce Stadium, obviously it is in the best interests of the people of Canberra for the Cosmos to continue in the national competition. We would certainly urge that and we will certainly be very supportive of the Cosmos doing that, but I think the Cosmos have one or two other issues to solve prior to issues of their tenancy at Bruce Stadium.The fact is that the Cosmos generated an average of, I think, 2,000 patrons per game last year, which you would have to say is not an enormous amount. The revenue they generate out of the gate as opposed to their match costs is relatively small. Indeed, a number of the matches operate at a very small profit-in some cases, pretty close to a loss-at Bruce. We will certainly look at it if the Cosmos do renege on that contract. I would be hoping that that would not the case. We will certainly look at the terms of that contract and I will get more information on the payment.
MR HARGREAVES
: My question is to the Minister for Urban Services. As the minister will be aware because our officers have been speaking about it, I have been receiving complaints from motorists who have not received their vehicle registration renewals. I understand that the normal procedure is for the motor registry to mail a renewal to vehicle owners three weeks before the due date, which gives the vehicle owner time to organise his or her finances to pay for the registration. I am aware of one case, which I share by way of example, where the registration is due on Friday, the day after tomorrow, and the owners, as of this morning, still have not received their renewal notice. This is not a one-off case. Can the minister say why vehicle registration renewals are not being mailed out in time? What has he done to notify the public of the delays?MR SMYTH
: Mr Speaker, there has been some delay. I am not sure whether Mr Hargreaves is referring to ordinary motor vehicles or heavy vehicles. There was some delay with the heavy vehicle charges simply because the federal government did not make their amendments and gazette their charges until 9 June. We were unable to do the necessary things that we have to do until after that time. I am advised by the department that all outstanding renewal notices have now been despatched.
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