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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 2004 Week 10 Hansard (Wednesday, 25 August 2004) . . Page.. 4183 ..

One thing that does concern me significantly is the ACTAS funding. During the estimates hearings we found that funding had dropped considerably and there were some real problems there. In fact, there was $1.9 million in the budget for 2001-02, with $200,000 to be found by sponsorship. This financial year the figure is $1.4 million, with $200,000 to be found by sponsorship. This is a drop in funding.

The Chief Minister was on his hind legs talking about what a wonderful job the athletes have done in Greece, and they have. Many of those athletes go through the Academy of Sport. But ACTAS is struggling and they will not be able to keep up the programs, they will not be able to service the same number of athletes and they will not be able to produce the same brilliant results achieved in the Olympics by our local athletes, who are a credit to themselves, their country and, indeed, their territory.

I am somewhat disappointed by the government’s performance in the sport and recreation area. Indeed, there are some significant failures there—failures that will need to be addressed. Even in a health promotion area, physical activity and sport used to get around about 35 per cent but we are now down to about 26 per cent. Some significant problems flow from that, especially in view of the increasing rates of childhood obesity and other problems in relation to general fitness.

And then, of course, there are the problems with the dragway and motor sport generally. When all the ministers in the government seem to want to give Fairbairn Park a lease, why can’t this be done? Surely it is not all that difficult. It was really quite amazing to see in a debate last week the prevarication on the dragway by the Deputy Chief Minister. Every conceivable problem seems to have cropped up in relation to the selection of a site. You are never going to please everyone. There are always going to be people who are going to be disaffected by a decision of government. You are not going to please everyone in relation to a dragway site.

There are people who are worried about the possibility of noise. Yes it can be noisy and, yes, steps can be taken to minimise that. A number of studies have shown you where motor sports should be placed. The 1996 study, which started with David Lamont when he was minister, placed it in the Majura Valley and the 2001 design and siting specifically placed the best site for a dragway at section 52. Yes, there might still be a 39 per cent Commonwealth interest there but if that goes, section 52 is the best site. And if for some reason it does not go there, section 51, which the government renewed the lease on last year, is also an excellent site. So you can narrow down where it should go.

There may be some problems but that is what governments are for—to overcome those problems. It is certainly not beyond the realms of what this Assembly or the government are capable of doing, to bite the bullet and go ahead and do it. But I suspect the government really does not want to. What we are seeing is window dressing. It has put money in a budget for something it never has any intention of delivering on. (Extension of time granted.) That is sad because so many people in motor sport look to this government to come in and actually build a dragway, and they gave every indication that they would.

Ms Gallagher: Where are you going to build it, Bill?

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