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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2001 Week 6 Hansard (14 June) . . Page.. 1740 ..

MR STEFANIAK (continuing):

championship. That was an event that Tennis Australia was very keen to see take place. I recall talking to Geoff Pollard about that. We have had that for a number of years. There are also some men's events.

Mr Hargreaves, you are very keen to see facilities in your own electorate. I think that is most commendable, and I am always happy to see you show your interest in sporting facilities. This will make us the clay court capital of Australia, with all the potential that can flow from that. We have already seen one tournament, and I have mentioned others. It will give the 6,000-plus people in the ACT who play tennis some excellent updated facilities. There is great potential for masters tennis games and junior tournaments. All of those things will be enhanced by this development at Lyneham. Mass participation in tennis very much justifies the injection of government funds.

We have injected funds, and are proud of injecting funds, into a number of sports in the ACT. Hockey, for example, has been the beneficiary-and rightly so because they put in a lot themselves-of significant investments. We have invested money in the Raiders. We have invested money in the Brumbies. We have invested money in basketball, in the joint stadium in Tuggeranong.

Tennis, whist it had been the recipient of some grants through the sport and recreation program, which is usually announced in about November, had not had an injection of funds similar to that for other sports. Redeveloping the tennis centre with 20 extra courts will be a great boon to tennis in the ACT, with the obvious benefits of international tournaments that the clay courts will give.

MR HARGREAVES: I ask a supplementary question. Minister, given your appellation of the clay court capital of the world-

Mr Stefaniak: Of Australia.

MR HARGREAVES: Of Australia. I beg your pardon.

Mr Stefaniak: I said Australia.

MR HARGREAVES: You correct me; the clay court capital of Australia. Are you aware that the Tennis Australia tournament schedule for July 2001 to June 2002, of which I have copy, lists no Australian clay court championships, men's or women's, for Canberra or anywhere else? When the government gave its money, what guarantees, if any, did it seek to ensure that the proposed tournament schedule for the redeveloped centre would go ahead?

MR STEFANIAK: Mr Hargreaves, I think the government was told a number of events would be staged there. I would like to have a look at that document you have. You might like to table it. That would be nice. Mr Hargreaves, when the government assesses whether it goes ahead with its money or not, it looks at a number of things. As I indicated to you earlier, and as I think I indicated when I launched the courts-I accept that you are right-on 22 May 2000, it is all very well to get these wonderful events or maybe not get these wonderful events, but at the end of the day ACT tennis and south-east region tennis, and the 6,000-plus people in the ACT who play tennis, will have-bottom line-20 extra state-of-the-art courts they can use.

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