Page 2783 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 23 June 2009
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press statements that are around. I would hope that the minister can provide a clarification to the Assembly during the course of this debate as to where the rest of the money went.
MR DOSZPOT (Brindabella) (9.47): It is my pleasure to speak to this line item, 1.5, Territory and Municipal Services, and specifically to the area of my shadow portfolio responsibility of sport and recreation. There has not been a dramatic change to the funding levels of sport and recreation. In fact, there has been no real change to this area for a number of years, since the horror slash-and-burn budget of 2006 when the secretive Costello review saw the loss of 13 per cent of the entire budget for sport and recreation.
The predominant line of questioning during the estimates inquiry focused on the stadium upgrades. Funnily enough, the stadium upgrades and preliminary consultation round were announced on the very day that the estimates committee was due to scrutinise this section of the budget. This is the minister in his best form—a minister who is very good at attracting the attention of the media for his own purposes, with a lot of spin and very little substance. It must be said that, regardless of the outcome of the consultation and the discussion that will be ongoing about the proposed plans for our stadia, the question will still remain: how will this government, with its track record, be able to deliver such a large-scale project on time and on budget? We need not look too far to see some epic failures in this regard. The Gungahlin Drive extension still stands as a monument to inefficiency, lack of planning and fiscal mismanagement.
The question of the state of our sporting facilities was also raised during the estimates hearing. Only an 87 per cent satisfaction level with our sports grounds and ovals was achieved when the target was 92 per cent. I would encourage the government to take heed of recommendation No 85 in the estimates report and to conduct a more detailed survey when it comes to dissatisfaction with facilities. It is important to know whether community users are dissatisfied—why they are and what they want to see done about it. I note that the government, in their response to the estimates report, have agreed in principle and that the department will explore options for seeking more specific data on user dissatisfaction.
I also look forward to the government’s compliance when it comes to recommendation 86 of the estimates report—the initiation of a facilities audit of all ACT sports venues, to be reported on by February 2010. There are a number of issues under this, and I go straight to one of them. Access to pool facilities remains an issue for many constituents who have made representations to my office. The minister claims that the Molonglo development will resolve issues, but this remains to be seen, as forward design for this facility will not even commence until 2011 or 2012.
It is my belief that currently there is a huge discrepancy regarding access to pool facilities in the winter months between those residents in the north and south of Canberra. Indeed, something like 400 metres of lane space is available in winter to south-side residents compared to 1,380 metres on the north side. These figures are based on the exclusion of the Deakin pool, which has now closed, and Erindale, which is closed for at least six months. This is just another example of a lack of planning that has had very significant effects on the residents of south Canberra and Tuggeranong.
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