Page 1452 - Week 05 - Wednesday, 10 April 2013
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MADAM SPEAKER: Can you repeat the question, Mr Gentleman, please?
MR GENTLEMAN: The question is to the minister: is there anything that risks high quality sports facilities being able to be delivered in the ACT?
MADAM SPEAKER: On the basis that the previous two questions were about sports facilities in Ginninderra, I think you might have to limit yourself to Ginninderra.
Mr Barr: The supplementary referred to other upgrades, and I referred to all over Canberra.
MADAM SPEAKER: The supplementary referred to other upgrades in Ginninderra.
Mr Barr: And I referred to other upgrades in other parts of Canberra.
Mr Corbell: He mentioned facilities in Molonglo, Madam Speaker.
MADAM SPEAKER: I know he did, and I thought that they were not directly relevant to the question. Ms Berry, could you repeat your supplementary question for me?
MS BERRY: Are there any other Belconnen community sports facilities that will be built or upgraded in the near future?
MADAM SPEAKER: I think you will have to limit yourself to answering questions about Ginninderra, Mr Barr.
MR BARR: Thank you Madam Speaker. There is no doubt that issues that would put at risk the high quality sports facilities in Belconnen would equally impact on the provision of high quality sports facilities elsewhere in the territory. The biggest risk, of course, is the withdrawal of funding for such upgrades, and this could manifest itself in many ways. It could be through seeking to reduce the amount of revenue that comes into the government for the maintenance and upgrade of sports facilities. So proposals, for example, to seek to reduce the amount of revenue that comes into the Sport and Recreation Services area in order to maintain and upgrade assets would, indeed, be a great risk.
So I am pleased to advise the Assembly, particularly those opposite who are particularly concerned and agitated by this issue, that it is the government’s intention to enhance the quality of sports facilities, not just in Belconnen but more broadly, and the government’s commitment is very clear—that is, all money raised through the hire of sports facilities goes back into the maintenance and upgrade of those facilities.
Equally, we also have a commitment through the lease variation charge—something that those opposite seem very keen to do away with—to put every cent that is raised by the lease variation charge into upgrading urban improvement, and upgrading sports facilities is part of our urban improvement program. I know it upsets those opposite that property developers would make a contribution to improve sports fields. Their
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