Legislative Assembly

. 25 August, 1988 ASSEMBLY 603 LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY Thursday, 25th August, 1988 Mr Speaker (The Hon. Kevin Richard Rozzoli) took the chair at 10.30 a.m. Mr Speaker offered the Prayer TELEVISING OF PROCEEDINGS Mr SPEAKER: Order! I inform the House that portions of the proceedings of this sitting will be filmed for Australian Broadcasting Corporation television, Special Broadcasting Services television and the three commercial television stations, for library purposes only. No sound recording will be made. SERJEANT-AT-ARMS Mr SPEAKER: Order! Before proceeding with the routine of business, I extend the best wishes of this House to the Serjeant-at-Arms on the occasion of his wedding, this Saturday, to Miss Ann Roffey. PETITIONS The Clerk announced that the following petitions had been lodged for presentation: Wollongong Showground The Petition of citizens of New South Wales respectfully sheweth: That the citizens of the city of Wollongong are flatly opposed to any proposal that would cause any part of Wollongong Showground to be leased. assigned or disposed of for the purpose of establishing an enterprise such as an international tourist hotel or convention centre, or some such other complex that would advantage private interests but which would deny the citizens the full use and benefit of this public amenity. Your Petitioners therefore humbly pray: That your honourable House will take urgent steps to prevent the disposition or leasing of the abovementioned property. And your Petitioners, as in duty bound. will ever pray. Petition, lodged by Mr Arkeil, received. Education Policies Thc Petition of citizcns of New South Wales respectfully shcwerh: That there is protest about the changes proposcd for public education. 604 ASSEMBLY 25 August, 1988 Your Petitioners therefore humnbly pray: That your honourable House will reject the proposals that will disadvantage the public education system. These include the loss of teaching staff, the loss of anc~llarystaff, changes to their categories and working conditions, an increase in class sizes. a reduction in subjects offered to students, changes to supply teachers and casual teachers. extras to be undertaken by high school teachers. and the lack of communication by the Minister for Education and the Premier. And your Petitioners, as in duty bound, will ever pray. Petition, lodged by Mr Hunter, received. REGULATION REVIEW COMMITTEE Second Report Mr Cruickshank, as Chairman, brought up the Second Report from the Regulation Review Committee. Ordered to be printed. OLYMPIC GAMES FOR SYDNEY Ministerial Statement Mr GREINER: I desire to make a statement to the House regarding the bid by the city of Sydney to host the 1996 Summer Olympic Games. As honourable members will be aware, His Excellency the Governor foreshadowed that the Government would be supporting an application, on behalf of the people of Sydney, to host the 1996 Summer Olympic Games. I am indeed pleased to advise the House that Sydney, New South Wales, will be making application to the Australian Olympic Federation to host the 1996 Olympic Games. It is understood that Melbourne and Brisbane will also be seeking endorsement. Only one Australian city will be selected to submit to the International Olympic Committee. I am confident that Sydney will be that city. Sydney will provide a spectacular venue for the Olympic Games. Seen internationally as the focus of Australia, it has one of the most beautiful urban settings in the world. It is a growing city, well established as the international finance and business centre of the South Pacific region. The population of over 3.5 million includes citizens from over 100 different nations and all creeds. Sydney is Australia's premier city, Australia's gateway to the world, a city more than capable of successfully staging an Olympic Games. Sydney's Olympic Games strategy involves the establishment of two primary Olympic Games zones, one at Homebush Bay and the other in the city-the so-called Sydney Harbour zone. In these two zones 21 of the 28 sports will take place. The Homebush Bay zone is the major venue and will include a new showground complex that will cater for the opening and closing ceremonies, track and field and other sports in the new exhibition pavilions. A new aquatic centre and the media-broadcasting centre will be established on land currently owned by the Commonwealth. Accommodation will be provided for 16 000 athletes, 9 000 visiting media and 3 000 technical officials on land currently owned by State Abattoirs, State Brickworks and the Maritime Services Board. This zone also includes the existing State sports and hockey centres and a new velodrome at Lidcombe Oval. 25 August, 1988 ASSEMBLY 605 The Homebush site is at the geographic and demographic centre of metropolitan Sydney, 12 kilometres from the city centre. It is relatively undeveloped, and is connected to the metropolitan transport networks on which all Olympic Games venues, residential accommodation, and other facilities will be established. The Sydney Harbour zone will incorporate the use of existing facilities at Darling Harbour, including the Sydney Entertainment Centre, Sydney Exhibition and Convention Centre. White City, the Football Stadium and the Sydney Cricket Ground are also included in the zone. Other venues are to be developed at Penrith Lakes for canoeing and rowing; at Eastern Creek for archery and shooting; at Warwick farm for equestrian events and at Jervis Bay for yachting. Both primary zones and other venues are already well serviced by the existing rail and road transport networks; interzone travel by ferry will be available, and both competition and Olympic Games arts festival activities will be readily accessible within 30 minutes travel from the village and stadium for competitors, spectators and visitors. Training facilities, which are more than adequate, are readily available in close proximity to both these zones. An important feature of the Olympic Games strategy is the creation of facilities appropriate to both long-term and Olympic Games demands, which will include a new Sydney showground and a State athletics centre, whose corresponding existing sites at cramped inner city locations will be released for redevelopment. To accommodate the many Olympic Games visitors, Sydney has a well-established infrastructure to cope with large numbers of tourists. Up to June 1988, there were 56 000 beds available. By 1991, there will be at least another 51 000 beds. Numerous five-star hotels are within easy reach of both Olympic Games zones, providing the Olympic family and visiting dignitaries with complete comfort during their stay. Sydney's strategy for hosting the Games of the 26th Olympiad has been framed in the context of achieving long-term benefits for the people of Sydney and the Australian community. The villages and other residential accommodation will make a significant contribution to easing pressures on the sustained demand for housing in our city. In preparing this bid, the Citizens Council has assessed the financial feasibility of Sydney's hosting the 1996 Olympic Games. On behalf of the New South Wales Government, and in consultation with the New South Wales Treasury, financial and socio-economic analyses have been undertaken by the Macquarie Bank for the Citizens Council. The financial analysis has shown that the Olympic Games can be hosted in Sydney at no cost to the taxpayer on a break-even basis, or possibly with a modest profit. The socio-economic analysis confirms, like those undertaken by previous host cities of recent Olympic Games, that significant tangible benefits will accrue to Sydney were it to host the 1996 Olympic Games. The cost of staging the Olympic Games in Sydney in 1988 dollars is approximately $1 billion. This amount will be offset by revenues to be received from overseas broadcasting rights, international and national marketing, operating revenue, sale of the showground and other entrepreneurial initiatives. I should point out that by 1996 this will represent an injection of $1 billion of foreign capital into the New South Wales economy. A major undertaking such as the construction of the Olympic Games' facilities and the management of associated activities will require the co- operation of all parties concerned and, in fact. of our whole community. The Government's endorsement of the bid for Sydney to host the Games is based on: the project being self-funding; agreement being reached with the Australian 606 ASSEMBLY 25 August, 1988 Olympic Federation and International Olympic Committee so that firm construction and operating cost figures are determined which we can adhere to; formal endorsement by the Labor Council, which has been sought through Mr MacBean, and which I believe can be expected; and appropriate funding arrangements, such as exemption from Loan Council global borrowing limits, being given by the Commonwealth Government. This is also expected to occur. Formal support by the Opposition is also important to a successful effort to mount this massive undertaking. I understand that such support will be forthcoming. I depart from this statement to thank the honourable member for Coogee for his consistent support, both as a member of the previous Government, and since the change in Government. The bid will come from the city of Sydney. I wish to place on record the strong support of the present City Commissioners, Sir Eric Neal, Sir Nicholas Shehadie and Mr Norman Oakes. The new democratically elected council, as of 1st January, 1989, will, I am certain, be proud flag bearers for our city's bid. Australia has been exceedingly fortunate in that it has remained free of terrorist incursion. Nevertheless, it is recognized that the Olympic Games do present particular challenges. The need for increased vigilance by both State and federal agencies to ensure that our good record remains intact, will be required. As is normally the case, the jurisdiction for maintenance of law and order and the security of residents and visitors alike in Sydney is the responsibility of the New South Wales Police Force.

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