Page 1060 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 20 April 1994
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development of closer partnerships with the community and, together with my colleague Mr Wood, I will be seeking to identify circumstances in which facilities might be leased to appropriate sporting organisations.
The ACT racing industry offers great potential for our community. The significant changes which are occurring in the industry nationally, including the broadcasting of Australian races to Asia and the United States, will require a decisive response from each State and Territory. It is important that we are not left behind. In addition, this year the bureau will be developing new racing legislation for the ACT, legislation which will assist the ACT Racing Club to achieve its objective of gaining principal club status. Legislation to allow on-course telephoning betting will be introduced into the Assembly within the next month, and the Government will be responding to the recommendations arising out of the recent review of the distribution of TAB funds to the three racing codes.
Madam Speaker, all of these challenges will be met by this Government, but I have a particular view that the development of the racing industry needs an immediate focus. The returns to the community are potentially very significant. It is for this reason that the Government has agreed in the first instance to a three-year appointment of Mr Mark Owens to head up the bureau as its general manager. Madam Speaker, Mr Owens is with us this afternoon in the chamber. Mr Owens is currently secretary-manager of the ACT Racing Club and has recently won the New South Wales Racing Administrator of the Year award. However, Mr Owens's experience is not confined to the racing industry. He had a 13-year career in the public service, principally in the Department of Foreign Affairs. This experience included several overseas postings. Mr Owens will come to the position with broadly based administrative skills which will enable him to fulfil not only his role in the development of the ACT racing industry but his much broader and vital role and responsibilities of furthering the interests of sport and recreation in our community.
Madam Speaker, in a departure from the prepared text that has been circulated, I indicate that it is important to note that during Mr Owens's period of tenure with the ACT Racing Club he, along with the board of that organisation, was responsible for significantly altering the face of racing in the ACT. He has demonstrated the skills required to manage an extremely large sporting facility - in fact, a multimillion-dollar sporting facility - with a multimillion-dollar budget. He has been responsible for appropriate and adequate marketing and research and has been required to interact with not only the ACT racing administration but racing administrations throughout Australia. It is within that community, Madam Speaker, and indeed within the wider community in the ACT, that Mr Owens is held in high regard. Mr Owens, as I have said, is widely respected and, I have no doubt, will work closely and effectively with the sport, recreation and racing community.
Mr Wood will in due course advise the Assembly of the administrative arrangements affecting culture and heritage. Madam Speaker, I have outlined a very full and progressive agenda for the Sport, Recreation and Racing Bureau - an agenda which demonstrates that this Government is innovative, is committed and is able to deliver to the ACT community. I table a copy of the statement and move:
That the Assembly takes note of the paper.
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