Doc 4.3 Doc 4.5 Wednesday, 24 December 2014 TRANSCRIPT: DANIEL ANDREWS DOORSTOP JUNCTION OVAL, ST KILDA Subjects: Junction Oval redevelopment, Tatts decision, state security, Christmas message, Black Saturday class action Speakers: Daniel Andrews, Tony Dodemaide (Cricket Victoria) E&OE DANIEL ANDREWS: Well, it’s great to be back at the Junction Oval to make what I think is a very significant announcement about Labor fully delivering on the commitment we made to Victorian cricket, and to both elite and community sport and to this local area. This is a fantastic facility, but one that can be so much better, and that’s why just prior to the election Labor committed to a $25-million contribution to the $40-million upgrade of this Junction Oval – both protecting the past, so upgrading these two heritage grandstands, but then building first-class facilities for first-class cricket. There’s also a number of different community elements to this. It’s about making sure that every Victorian can participate in cricket both at a community level and then progress through to that elite competition that our state and this city is so famous for. I want to congratulate Tony Dodemaide and all the team from Cricket Victoria, Cricket Australia as well, and all the partners. This has been, from start all the way through to today – the announcement that I’m about to make – such a well-argued case. This project stacks up, it’s fantastic for cricket both at an elite and a community level, but it’s also great for footy because getting on with this project means that the MCG will be available for blockbuster AFL games from Round One of each and every season, and that’s what everyone wants to see happen. But you can’t ask Cricket Victoria, you can’t ask cricket as a sport, to give up their unique place in the early part of the AFL season at the MCG unless we provide a suitable replacement venue, and I think we can build something that is all together better than the arrangements that cricket currently enjoy. Purpose built, first-class facilities for first-class cricket. That’s the way that we should be going, and that’s what Labor will do. Today, I am very pleased to announce that we will fast-track the $25-million contribution that our government committed to some weeks earlier. We’re going to deliver on this in full, and For Official Use Only Page 1 of 8 we’re going to waste no time doing it. Construction on this redevelopment will begin in 2015, and we will have it completed as quickly as possible. We had said that our aim was to have cricket out of the MCG and blockbuster football back into the Melbourne Cricket Ground from Round One. In the ’17 season, if we can beat that, if we can do even better than that, then we will. But achieving this fantastic outcome for cricket, for footy, for sport, for our state, means that you have to get on with it, and that’s exactly what I’m announcing today. We will fast-track the redevelopment of the Junction Oval. Construction will begin next year. I want to congratulate all the partners; the councils represented here today; Martin Foley, as an outstanding advocate and local member; of course, John Eren, the now Minister for Sport, has been a very strong supporter of this project. This stacks up. It’s a really important vision for the future. There’s not a moment to waste. We’re going to get on and make sure we deliver this ahead of time, because that’s good for cricket, its good for jobs as well, and it’s all about making sure that we’ve got footy back on at the ’G from Round One each and every year. Can I just, again, thank Tony and his team. Cricket Victoria and all of their partners have argued this case so well. They should be very proud of the positive plan they have put forward. We’re very pleased we’re able to support it and announce today that we will get on and make sure construction on this redevelopment begins in 2015. I’m more than happy to take your questions on those or any other matters. REPORTER: Will the St Kilda Football Club ever be coming back to the Junction Oval? DANIEL ANDREWS: Well, look, I met with Gillon McLachlan just last week, I think it was – maybe earlier in the week before – and we had a discussion. And the last time I stood here, on this ground, and was asked a similar question, I said, ‘look, my door’s always open; I’m always prepared to make projects bigger and better, but I will not waste any time on this’. This has always been, in my thinking, an opportunity to give cricket a first-class set of facilities, and to make sure that the ’G was available for blockbuster footy from Round One. They have been the imperatives. They have been the things that have guided me in my support for this project, both as the leader of the Labor Party and, now, as the Premier of our great state. There’s no time to waste on this, and I won’t do that. We’re about delivering on each and every of our commitments, and doing it in good time. Having said that, though, I’m always happy to talk to the AFL and others, and to continue discussions. But, again, there’s no time to waste on this. We’ve been elected to deliver, and that’s exactly what we’re going to do. REPORTER: Have the AFL and St Kilda dragged their heels? Were they not ready to move on this when you were? DANIEL ANDREWS: Well, their project – the project that they speak of – is a considerably more expensive project. I think there is some uncertainty in relation to some of the funding. Again, we’re happy to sit down and talk about making our plan for the Junction Oval bigger and better over time. For Official Use Only Page 2 of 8 But I’m not going to sit around and waste time. We’ve got a mandate and we’ve got a responsibility to deliver on the things we promised – the commitments we made ahead of the 29th of November. It may well be that this can become an ever bigger project for this local community and for footy. But, again, I’m not going have our commitment in any way held up, in any way delayed, by that process. We need to get on and make sure that we’ve got a first-class set of facilities for cricket, and what’s more, we’ve got the ’G back available for blockbuster footy from Round One, each and every year. I don’t think we ever want to get a situation like this year where it felt like it was Round Five or Six before footy had actually started again. We want a situation where blockbuster footy can be played in Melbourne, at the ’G, from Round One, and this is the way to ensure we deliver that. REPORTER: So, the AFL appears to have offered $10 million to the previous government for the redevelopment. Did Gill McLachlan give you that same figure? DANIEL ANDREWS: Oh, the AFL are certainly very keen to expand on this project and to be part of it. Again, there are some important partners in that expanded project. The local council’s one of them – and I’m not going to speak for them, you’d need to speak to the council about whether they are supportive of both cricket and AFL football coming here. You’d need to speak to a range of others who have apparently committed to that broader project. I just want to make the point again: I’m not opposed to changing this, to making it bigger and broader. The door is open, and I’m happy to keep talking to people, but I have got a responsibility to deliver, as quickly as I can, on the commitments that I made, and that’s exactly what we’re announcing today. We will begin construction on a first-class set of facilities for first-class Victorian and Australian cricket in Melbourne, and making sure that the ’G is available for blockbuster footy from Round One every single year. REPORTER: So, can you just run us through who else is making up the money for your contribution? DANIEL ANDREWS: Well, I might throw to Tony to speak about that in more detail, but essentially, this is a $40- million project: $25 million from the state; there is a $10-million commitment from cricket; there is a small gap, a $5-million gap, and I think that all of those who have driven this project are very, very confident that they’ll be able to source that $5 million, and that means we can get on, we can get cracking, effectively, delivering these first-class facilities and freeing up the ’G for blockbuster footy from Round One. Tony might want to add to that. TONY DODEMAIDE: For Official Use Only Page 3 of 8 Just on that, I’ve got a few other comments to make, but absolutely the Premier is correct. We have $35 million now out of an estimated $40-million project cost, and we are very confident, we have partners that we are talking to at the moment, and it’s simply a matter … I think this announcement today really gives us the impetus, the project is now live for us, so we’re very, very confident of bridging the gap.