Page 1564 - Week 05 - Thursday, 11 April 2013
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Something that I am very keen on—again, there has been some discussion on it today—is the value of sporting events as major contributors to the economy. In the last two years to January 2013 the total expenditure from sporting events confirmed by the Canberra Convention Bureau was over $11½ million. A couple of examples from that survey include the Burley Griffin Regatta in 2012 where $260,000 was spent on accommodation. The Rowing Australia 2013 masters rowing championships, which starts in two weeks, is expected to generate $1.4 million to the ACT economy. With respect to the world 24-hour mountain bike championships in 2013, over $4 million is expected from team and solo events.
It is good to recognise the simple economic value of these events, as well as the fact that, again, they attract people to Canberra who might not otherwise have come. Of course there are great social benefits from these events as well, with all the volunteers who help out, the local clubs who participate, the young people who get involved and the young people who might be inspired to take up a sport or some other activity as a result of seeing some of these high-class participatory events taking place in Canberra.
It is also worth noting that a number of these events take place in the summer, a time of year that is traditionally a tough one for our hospitality sector, be it the hotels or the restaurants and cafes around town. Having these events in summer, when of course many of these outdoor sports take place, is particularly valuable to the local economy.
For me, that highlights the importance, across the ACT government, of all of our directorates being very mindful of how they facilitate these events. That probably particularly applies to my directorate, Territory and Municipal Services, but also to the Economic Development Directorate and a few others. Often these events are run by volunteers or with a bit of paid help but a large volunteer committee. We do not want people getting caught up in significant government processes in order to make these events happen. Our agencies need to think about how they can ensure these events run more smoothly.
As I have spoken about before in this chamber, unfortunately some of the problems we have had with the lakes have had an impact on the ACT attracting and hosting these events or our reputation around the hosting of these events. As I have spoken about previously, certainly within the triathlon community Canberra’s reputation as a host for such events has diminished because of the problems we have had with hosting swims in the past.
Lake Burley Griffin is a significant tourism asset. We need to deal with all of our lakes, but certainly the central lake is the one that captures the public imagination. Having the backdrop of Old Parliament House, new Parliament House and the various national institutions for some of these events is extraordinary for people who do not come from Canberra. In fact I am always inspired myself, and I live here every day.
Turning to the arts, we know that our cultural venues and events are a great drawcard for visitors. Canberra is home to many artists and smaller arts and our vibrant arts scene in its own right can attract many visitors. There have been some great arts
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