Page 3015 - Week 08 - Thursday, 15 August 2019
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In order to support our clubs, we delivered a 50 per cent gaming tax rebate for small and medium clubs, alongside a $10,000 grant program earlier this term. This year we are doing even more. As in previous efforts, small and medium clubs are our focus. They will have priority in accessing the government’s new diversification support fund, which will pay for advice and for assistance that the clubs are looking for to develop new business models. We have also established a small clubs liaison service inside Access Canberra, which is there to ensure that they have all of the information that they need and direct access to support.
This government is committed to supporting our local clubs. We will stay hard at work on delivering that commitment.
MS ORR: Minister, can you tell the Assembly more about how the small clubs liaison officer service will support clubs?
MR RAMSAY: I thank Ms Orr for the supplementary question. This new small clubs liaison officer service was an election commitment. It was promised in ACT Labor’s supporting local community clubs policy. Two other key supports promised in that policy—a $10,000 grant and a 50 per cent tax rebate for every small and medium club—have been in place since 2017. The small clubs liaison will operate on the principle of no wrong door. That means that there will be a single point of contact for information or advice.
This new initiative provides a single point of contact for small or medium-sized clubs. Small and medium clubs can use the service to access information or advice regarding diversification, regulatory, legislative and administrative issues. If the liaison officer cannot answer a question immediately or provide that advice in the first instance, they will source the information or they will provide a point of contact for a subject matter expert.
Smaller clubs face unique challenges in the evolving business and regulatory environment. The support that this provides will help them to take the best advantage of emerging business opportunities. It will also make it even easier to engage with the ACT government. All of this support will help those clubs focus on their members and on the community organisations that they support. This government will keep working with them to make sure that they keep providing cultural, sporting and recreational services to their members and to their neighbours.
MR PETTERSSON: Minister, how will the community contributions reforms that you mentioned helped to deliver more support for sport, recreation and cultural events?
MR RAMSAY: I thank Mr Pettersson for the supplementary question. Throughout this process of reform the government has put community benefits first and foremost. Our community contributions scheme is a central part of that policy. Community contributions reflect the obligations of those who have the privilege of operating gaming machines to give back directly to their communities. They are required to do this in ways that go beyond using revenue from gaming machines to serve their own members.
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