Page 4324 - Week 14 - Wednesday, 27 November 2013
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Mr Hanson: On that point of order, I would—
MR ASSISTANT SPEAKER: It is not a debate, Mr Hanson.
MR BARR: Can we stop the clock?
MR ASSISTANT SPEAKER: Stop the clock please, Clerk. Mr Hanson, you have one more opportunity to relate to your point of order.
Mr Hanson: I was just responding to that point. That is quite clearly not true. I do not think I come into this place and have long speeches about—
MR ASSISTANT SPEAKER: That is not to do with the point of order. So take your seat. Mr Barr.
MR BARR: Thank you, Mr Assistant Speaker. From a government that reassured voters that they would be a government of no surprises, we have seen quite a few surprises. This decision on UC is just one example. It will certainly hurt the ACT and the region, and it will hurt our capability to increase student and community sport participation. It will hurt our capacity to promote physical literacy and active lifestyles in our city. The opportunity for community sport to connect with other disciplines of the university, including business, teaching and sports science would have created synergies that would enhance the administrative and operational functions of community sporting organisations.
The ACT government’s active 2020 strategy is recognised by the sport and recreation industry as the blueprint upon which the economic and social value of sport and recreation will be nurtured and promoted in the territory. The seven fundamental goals of the active 2020 strategy—and the UC sports commons precinct touches on a number of these—include maximising community engagement, promoting greater acknowledgement of the health, education and social benefits of sport and recreation, increasing the capacity and capability of sport and active recreation to provide quality opportunities in the ACT, maximising opportunities for outstanding individual success, creating Canberra’s image as the national sporting capital and maximising sporting infrastructure and resources. One of the key focuses of the model being applied to the UC sports commons to reinvigorate the incubator concept for smaller community sports that benefit from co-location with other sporting organisations, the alignment between the goals of the active 2020 strategy and the vision of the UC sports commons are quite clear.
I would like to thank Dr Bourke for bringing the motion to the Assembly and echo his remarks about how critical it is that all members of this place give their support to this project at UC, do what they can to lobby the federal government to honour the commitment that was made in relation to this project. There is no question that a bipartisan effort here on behalf of the University of Canberra and community sport and recreation would go a long way to support the viability of the project into the future.
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