Page 2451 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 13 August 2014
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program of audits for the coming year. That request would provide all members with an opportunity to suggest things that should be considered, including for Mr Smyth to suggest that the ACTTAB sale process should be considered by the auditor. I have certainly provided the Auditor-General with my suggestions on a range of useful audit topics, and I assume other members did as well.
On that basis I do not think the Assembly needs to put this forward. I will express the view that there are a range of matters that I would like to see the Auditor-General look at. I have put those views to the Auditor-General and I hope she will take up the ones I have suggested. Whether she does or not, of course, is a matter for the Auditor-General.
With those brief remarks, I will conclude by simply observing that I will be supporting Mr Barr’s amendment today.
MS BURCH (Brindabella—Minister for Education and Training, Minister for Disability, Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Minister for Racing and Gaming, Minister for Women and Minister for the Arts) (12.13): I rise to support Minister Barr’s amendment and to speak briefly in regard to the racing industry. With respect to the sale of ACTTAB I have certainly heard from the racing industry about their disappointment at some of the recent aspects of that sale. Since that decision I have met with all three codes to hear their views and to discuss a way forward that gives them the certainty they need to invest and grow, because this government understands the value of the three racing codes to our economy and to our community.
Looking at the Canberra Racing Club, for example, attendance at Thoroughbred Park is around 64,500 a year, with over 44,000 in race day attendances and close to 20,000 in attendance on other days. The biggest day, of course, is the Black Opal and Canberra Cup day, with around 10,000 attending. Significant non-race-day events this year include the Unbridled Horse Festival, which is in November, and the VW car convention, which is a fundraiser, I understand, for the Canberra Hospital Foundation.In terms of their contribution to the community, many race days support local charities through race day sponsorship and race day fundraising functions. Attendance numbers, I believe, stand up against some of our other great spectator sports at Manuka Oval and Canberra Stadium. Some 25 race meetings are held at Thoroughbred Park each year, and Thoroughbred Park is used every day of the year by industry participants, who make up the many hundreds of people that are employed full time in our racing industry.
All 25 race meetings are televised nationally and internationally, bringing a focus on the city of Canberra through Canberra branding. I would like to think that we can better use this to promote our fabulous city.
The report of the ICRC in 2011, while questioning some of the flow-on impacts of the Allen study, found that every $1 spent on the racing industry increases the value added to the economy by $1.42.The current budget allocates $8.022 million as a grant to the industry this financial year, rising to $8.898 million in 2017-18. This is a significant contribution in the
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