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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 6 Hansard (19 June) . . Page.. 2105 ..
MR QUINLAN (continuing):
Members will be aware that the government has been reviewing its involvement in ACT region tourism over the last several months. We will be announcing a number of outcomes to this process over the next months, and this is one of them. This is one of the most important.
Changing the name to Australian Capital Tourism Corporation is intended to reflect a new start for the corporation as a more regionally and industry focused body. The corporation will be focusing on its core business in developing Canberra and regional tourism product and marketing domestically and internationally.
The corporation will be seeking to attract more tourists, keeping them here longer and increasing the amount of money they spend in our city and region. The new name also reflects on one of our best selling points-Canberra as Australia's national capital.
Finally, members will be aware the ACT is a major component of the Australian capital region, and the new name is intended to reflect this and our desire to grow and develop our links with the surrounding region to create an integrated Australian capital tourism product.
The second proposed change is to increase the number of board members. The increase in the size of the existing board provides for a larger number of industry stakeholders to be represented. This is a key industry concern identified in the review process. Finally, it would also assist the corporation to be better placed to pursue stronger partnerships with industry, as it needs to do if it is to continue to develop a very competitive national and international tourism market.
Mr Speaker, I'm confident these changes will signal a new direction in the life of the corporation and its relations with the tourism industry. The new name better reflects the corporation's purpose and signifies our commitment to working with the industry both here in the ACT and in the Australian capital region. Increasing the size of the board allows us to increase the number and diversity of industry stakeholders represented in the corporation's management.
Members may note that the word "events"is not included in the title. It is not the intention that Australian Capital Tourism will not focus its efforts on events as well as promoting the ACT. However, members will also be aware that the greatest criticism of the operation of CTEC is that it was entirely focused on events; in fact, entirely focused on a single event, an event that cost the territory a lot of money. That event did not return on the promises that it may have offered us when first undertaken. It certainly cost, in its consumption of CTEC resources, more than is officially recorded against it.
Mr Speaker, I commend the bill to the Assembly.
Debate (on motion by Mr Smyth) adjourned to the next sitting.
Workers Compensation Amendment Bill 2003
Ms Gallagher
, pursuant to notice, presented the bill and its explanatory statement.
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