Page 2923 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 15 August 2018
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very reason for their existence is under challenge. It is a scare campaign; my oath it is: if you take away the very reason that a community club was established, that is worth getting frightened about.
I note that the Auditor-General, in her report into the clubs’ community contributions scheme, implies that there was some questionable expenditure associated with the operation of semi-professional sporting teams. The government, of course, have trumpeted these quotes all over the place: this in a jurisdiction where the government has made a $23 million community contribution to a fully professional football team that is not even from Canberra! It is not even from Canberra! I would say that the professional structure of these semi-professional sporting teams provides a genuine pathway for our talented athletes and gives our kids some real-life role models who are playing sport where we live.
And I would say that those contributions are within the guidelines that have been provided by the government. If you do not like the guidelines, change the guidelines. The Auditor-General’s report was much more critical of the government for not providing active guidance on how to interpret the Gaming Machine Act 2004. None of the Auditor-General’s recommendations amounted to the trashing of the scheme that has been suggested by this government.
I draw members’ attention to the 2015 KPMG national club census, which showed that our clubs in the ACT contributed $39 million to the community in 2015 through community donations, subsidised access to facilities and volunteering. I would urge those opposite to go out to their local club at some stage this week or over the weekend to see what local community actually looks like. I would urge them to listen to the cacophony of voices that are imploring them to leave their club alone.
Peter and Christine Reynolds from the Tuggeranong Valley Cricket Club wrote to me earlier this week. They said:
We submit further that the proposed model will only serve to inject uncertainty in respect of budgeting. We will likely be reliant on an additional, unpredictable layer of bureaucracy removed from direct contact with our club. Under our direct relationship with Vikings Group, their sponsorship is contingent on performance and delivering maximum value to our community from each dollar contributed. Transparency, accountability, and community benefit are the “benchmarks” in receiving funding. We question what benchmarks will apply under the proposed arrangements.
This is Tuggeranong Valley Cricket Club, who have provided the facility for so many kids to play cricket. They have also provided a couple of stars in recent years. The Floros boys have come through Tuggeranong Valley; Jason Behrendorff, who has represented Australia, has come through Tuggeranong Valley as well.
Here is another. Sue Faulkner is the president of Austrian Choir Canberra. She wrote to us and said, to summarise: “If we do not continue to receive at least the current financial contribution from the club, and if the club is required to levy a hall hire charge on the choir, we would find it very difficult or almost impossible to continue to exist as a choir. We are keen that the Austrian Australian Club continue its support
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