Page 4111 - Week 13 - Thursday, 31 October 2013
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MR DOSZPOT: Minister, in relation to the stadium, how many trips have you and officers from your directorate taken, where, and how much did this cost?
MR BARR: I refer the member to the published ministerial travel reports.
MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Dr Bourke.
DR BOURKE: Minister, what will be the benefits of this proposed stadium to the Canberra community?
MR BARR: I thank Dr Bourke. It is well known that the average life expectancy of a piece of stadium infrastructure is around 50 years. That is the industry-accepted standard. The facilities that we have—the old athletics track at Bruce that was upgraded 15 or so years ago—are heading towards 40 years of age. We are in the process of examining alternate options for new infrastructure through that process. It has had a number of iterations over the last four or five years. We have determined to adopt a two-stadium approach for Canberra—an oval facility at Manuka that we are currently upgrading and the investigation of a new CBD stadium as part of the city to the lake project. That work is progressing.
The key advantages of a CBD location are improved transport access and more economic activity associated with events. We are particularly looking at an indoor stadium to allow utilisation for more than 20 or 30 events in any given year, and we recognise the value of a purpose-built facility. Most other cities when they redevelop their stadia are bringing them closer to their CBDs and major transport hubs. There are significant economic benefits and night-time economy opportunities that come from having this infrastructure closer to the CBD.
At the moment, the experience at Canberra Stadium is that people drive out, the stadium is ringed by 10,000 cars and then people drive home. Very little economic benefit accrues outside of the stadium itself on event days. The experience in other cities with their stadia in the CBD is entirely different. Other cities have made this change, and we are looking at the options for Canberra.
Government—executive contracts
MR DOSZPOT: My question is to the Chief Minister. Since September, Chief Minister, the executive contracts that you have tabled in this place have not specified any duties to be performed by the relevant person or outlined any performance measures to be met. Why do the new executive contracts not contain any reference to duties or performance indicators?
MS GALLAGHER: My understanding is that performance agreements need to be signed within three months of the contract being signed. In regard to some of them, in the interests of tabling within the six sitting days of the signing of the contract, that work is still to be done.
MADAM SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Mr Doszpot.
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