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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2000 Week 12 Hansard (6 December) . . Page.. 3726 ..

MR RUGENDYKE (continuing):

I believe that my bill is sensible and in the best interests of the community. For example, it is highly questionable to have 24 - hour poker machines in areas which are less affluent and can least afford to be bitten by the gambling addiction. I trust that my colleagues in the club industry will take a responsible stand and support this proposal. I commend the bill to the Assembly.

Debate (on motion by Mr Smyth ) adjourned to the next sitting.

Mr Osborne , pursuant to notice, presented the bill and its explanatory memorandum.

Title read by Clerk.

MR OSBORNE (10.50): I move:

The Olympic events held in Canberra earlier this year highlighted the lack of appropriate security legislation that we have had for major sporting and community events.

The Olympic Games were an extraordinary event requiring rather extraordinary security powers. In recognition of that, the Assembly passed the Olympic Events Security Act to provide additional powers should there be a problem with people who were intent on disrupting any of the soccer matches or related Olympic events. However, now that the Olympics have come and gone, we are back in the situation we were before in regard to major sporting or community events.

The ACT has gone to great lengths to market itself as a major sporting and cultural tourist destination. In any given year, we could expect to host major entertainment events such as the V8 supercar race, a round of an international car rally, a rugby test match, Super 12 and National Rugby League semi - finals or finals, Summernats and a couple of rock concerts - well, supposed rock concerts.

At each of these occasions, large crowds gather to be entertained in one form or another. In some instances, these could be up to 100,000 people in size. There have been few problems in the past with those who wish to spoil an occasion by creating some form of violence or nuisance; but, unfortunately, there have been incidents and the potential for an unsavoury one is always there.

In such a case, I believe that we do not have adequate provisions to ensure the enjoyment of those who have paid to attend an event. This bill is basically a carbon copy of the security measures that were made available for Olympic events in the Olympic Events Security Act. However, I would stress to members that these security measures have been appropriately scaled down and tailored to fit the occasion.

Any special powers to remove people from a venue or to search personal property of those who are creating a nuisance have been placed only in the hands of the police. Other proposed security measures for Olympic events are disallowable by the Assembly.

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