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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2003 Week 9 Hansard (27 August) . . Page.. 3274 ..
MR STEFANIAK (continuing):
Motor sport is a very popular activity in Canberra and the rest of Australia. The V8s are no longer with us. Lots of people, regardless of where the races were or anything like that, were very sad to see them go. Indeed, that has had some effect on tourism in the territory, because motor sport has the capacity to bring in many tourists.
In 2001, after the court cases involving the dragway were finished, I commissioned as the then minister a study of what was the best site for a dragway in the Majura Valley and block 52 was identified. An environmental study was done, which was available to the current government, and there was an economic impact study.
That government went to the election in 2001 very much supported by people who wanted a dragway, who very much believed that the new government would build them a dragway. My motion calls on this government to do just that, to build and develop a motor sport facility in the Majura Valley.
It is interesting to go through Hansard on this subject. On 30 August 2000, Mr Corbell moved the following motion:
That this Assembly, recognising the significant economic and social benefits drag-racing has brought to the ACT community, urges the ACT Government to enter into negotiations with the Canberra International Dragway to reach agreement for a suitable, permanent venue for drag-racing in the ACT.
Mr Corbell indicated that his motion was not going to reflect on the legal battle. He said:
...it is intended to send a positive signal from this Assembly on the need for a permanent drag-racing venue in the ACT-a venue which is suitable and a venue which provides those enthusiasts with a legitimate outlet for the pursuit of their sport and does so in a way which actually brings a beneficial return to the ACT community, both socially and economically.
The first part of my motion asks the Assembly to recognise the significant economic and social benefits that drag-racing brings to the ACT community. Mr Speaker, there is no doubt that drag-racing does do just that. It has been estimated that each year the ACT drag-racing facility, the Canberra International Dragway, brought in approximately $1.5 million in visitor revenue to the ACT.
I think he had said earlier $2 million. I would agree with that. I can recall going there a bit during the time I was minister and that figure was quoted. It was a relatively small-scale affair, but an affair that did not take any government money, that had built itself up. In fact, the only government money it got was $45,000 all up in two lots, one of $40,000 and the other of $5,000, during the term of the previous government. I cannot recall any other government money being spent on it. It ran itself and ran itself well.
Mr Corbell went on to state:
Mr Speaker, I am no revhead-I am sure that most people in the Assembly would recognise that-but I do recognise that it is important to provide in a place such as the ACT venues for people to perform and to experience their sports, the things that interest them, in a safe way. We do not have that at the moment.
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