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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 9 Hansard (7 September) . . Page.. 2990 ..

MR CORBELL: Mr Speaker, my question relates to a subject that perhaps the Chief Minister should apply her growth record to, and that is Bruce Stadium. The Chief Minister has repeatedly said that the contract with HG Turf to resurface Bruce Stadium was between the company and SOCOG. Can you tell the Assembly whether the original resurfacing contract with StrathAyr was with the territory or SOCOG? If it was with the territory, what tender process was used to let the contract, and what was its value? What tender process was used to appoint the horticultural adviser, Mr Keith McIntyre, and what was its value?

MR SPEAKER: Chief Minister, can you handle all those?

MS CARNELL: I will try to handle all of those questions. It is my understanding that there was no tender process. StrathAyr turf systems were used because the initial surface we put down after the redevelopment was a StrathAyr surface. It uses a reinforced sand. At that stage the grass was Kentucky bluegrass and rye. The reinforced element of the profile was supplied by StrathAyr. They used the mesh element for the entire grass surface of the stadium. The reflex mesh element that was required for the new surface needed to match the 1997 surface, which was available only from StrathAyr. My understanding is that when it was decided that there needed to be at least some returfing and in the end the whole lot returfed StrathAyr was used because the sort of reinforced sand that was already there is available only from StrathAyr.

The new surface had to continue to provide quality drainage and the strength characteristics that were required for the stadium. The stadium had conducted something like 33 events between February and July 2000, and the grass up until the snow in May, I am advised, was getting better. But following the snow damage, the reinforced sand continued to provide a safe playing surface for the remainder of the season, and the worst areas were replaced by using a repair system known as SquAyrs. That repair system was also provided by StrathAyr. StrathAyr were used because they have a patent on the system of reinforced sand that has been the basis of the stadium since the surface was relaid in 1997.

The expert used-I think that was the next part of the question-has been working in the ACT for 25 years, from memory. He headed up areas of Urban Services-city parks, I think. He has been a consultant for Bruce Stadium and for other stadiums in Australia, and I think he has even done international consulting work. He was used by those opposite when they were in government and by Bruce Stadium since it was first built.

We have to accept that sometimes mistakes can be made and sometimes you can have bad luck. I do not think the competency of this person or the usual groundspeople at Bruce Stadium should be questioned. They have done a great job over a lot of years. Yes, this did not work. What do we do about that? Do we suggest, as it seems Mr Corbell is trying to, that we try to destroy the credibility of the person involved? The fact is that he has done a lot of years of very good work.

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