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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 12 Hansard (5 December) . . Page.. 3607 ..
MR STEFANIAK (continuing):
I am also very happy to see the guidelines for approving community contributions because there were some difficulties in how that would be assessed. I recall having a briefing some months ago from a Treasury official in relation to this. I think it was early days in terms of what the legislation would contain but quite clearly some clubs had put in some things that no - one in their right mind could possibly say were going towards sport. But they were not counting other things, such as ovals, which, in my opinion, quite clearly were for the benefit of the overall community. I will give an example.
The Tuggeranong Valley Rugby Union and Amateur Sporting Club has saved the taxpayers of this territory probably about $30,000 to $40,000 a year by taking over Erindale Oval. They have spent four million bucks so far. The West Belconnen Leagues Club is saving the territory probably about $20,000 a year by looking after and maintaining their magnificent oval. There are some other proposals. I certainly hope the proposal by Western District Rugby Union Club to take over Jamison Oval for rugby and cricket comes to fruition. There would be considerable benefits from such an arrangement. Those activities, which save the territory taxpayer money, certainly should be counted in a club's contributions. Therefore, I am very happy to see reference to community contributions in clause 4.
The guidelines for approving community contributions provide that, in general terms, expenditure in the sporting area will need to relate to sport and other recreational activities, including sporting organisations or events and other organised recreational activities. The guidelines refer to donations to clubs and organisations that would comply with the act. In relation to sporting organisations, they state:
(2) Sports organisations or events (including some recreational activities) which are not directly related to the gaming machine licensee. This is to distinguish expenses of licensees primarily for the benefits of members from benefits of the community at large.
I am particularly pleased to see paragraph (4) of this section of the guidelines, which reads:
Public Assets (for public benefit) including infrastructure assets owned by clubs which are provided to the general public. These contribution amounts include expenses to build, upgrade and maintain public assets such as museums, gymnasiums, ovals, fields and sporting facilities which are -
I am not too sure if the latest version has the words "free" or "not free" -
for use by the general public and are not restricted by membership of a club.
The ACT Rugby Union runs football matches at Erindale Oval, which is now called Viking Park. Members of other clubs who are not members of the Tuggeranong licensed club - I do not think that anyone in the Western District Rugby Union Club would be a member of the Tuggeranong Valley Club - go down there to play or watch football games. They might pay their $5 entrance fee or, if they are players, they probably have a player's pass which would be purchased by their club from the ACT Rugby Union.
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