Page 3651 - Week 10 - Wednesday, 13 September 2017
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
previous attendees at all of these events, especially Groovin the Moo. I am seeing laughter down at the front.
Most recently, the Folk Festival had close to 50,000 attendees, whilst GTM, which is Groovin the Moo for those less hip folks in the chamber, and Spilt Milk had about 20,000 attendees, mostly coming from interstate. Not only do they boost the local economy; they provide a social and cultural experience. In particular, festivals such as Spilt Milk and GTM provide entertainment for young people, who are often not the target demographic for Canberra’s large events. Local Canberrans often miss out on seeing artists perform when concerts and festivals only play in larger cities. Music festivals are definitely a case of “build it and they will come”, with music revellers travelling from across the country to attend the Folk Festival, GTM and Spilt Milk.
Another music festival will help Canberra become a festival destination. It will also allow us to continue to show off our local talent. It is vital for our local music scene to be cultivated, and government support for festivals such as these allows these artists to massively expand their listener base and gain national exposure.
Finally, Canberra needs an iconic midnight celebration for New Year’s Eve. We need an event that celebrates Canberra’s unique atmosphere that can be enjoyed by all Canberrans, an event that might incorporate the lake, the parliamentary triangle, and even Telstra tower. Who knows? All of them would be exciting. This will make it a distinctively Canberra event, with a broader appeal. New Year’s Eve should be an inclusive celebration, with an event that has something for all parts of the community to enjoy. Canberrans should not feel as though they need to go down to the coast to celebrate New Year’s Eve. I would like to see more Canberrans staying in Canberra for that celebration.
Canberra is home to unique and dynamic events and festivals. They have an enormously positive impact on the cultural life of our city, as well as contributing to the economy. Our city is a growing tourist destination, with an increase in both international and domestic visitors. The creation of new events and festivals will continue to grow our tourism industry, and make Canberra an even more enjoyable place to live. I hope that all members can support this motion and help make Canberra even better.
MS LE COUTEUR (Murrumbidgee) (3.49): I rise today to support this motion. Major events in Canberra are an integral part of ensuring that our city remains vibrant, engaging and diverse and great fun for those of us who live here. Major events bring visitors to the nation’s capital and, with them, much-needed expenditure. And we have every reason to be proud of our city. It is unique across the globe and it is a unique city in our nation.
So it makes every kind of sense to promote and encourage visitors through major and exclusive events as they show people what makes Canberra so great. They are one of the things that bring people to Canberra. They promote the opportunities to participate, to connect with and to enjoy the beautiful atmosphere and surroundings of our bush capital and, hopefully, to appreciate part of the democracy of Australia, which, after all, is the reason Canberra was established.
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video