Shadow Minister Media Releases
Labor Government Drops Plans To Attract Major Events (13/11/2008)
The decision by the New South Wales Government not to proceed with plans to upgrade convention facilities at the Sydney Showground and the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre (SCEC) at Darling Harbour will cost hundreds of millions of dollars in lost tourism revenue the Shadow Minister for Tourism, Don Page, said today.
In the mini-budget handed down this week, plans for a $181-million project to expand convention facilities at the Sydney Showground at Sydney Olympic Park were shelved, as was the O’Neill Report recommendation of upgrading the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre Mr Page said.
“It’s very clear the State Labor Government has no idea about the importance of business-related tourism,” Mr Page said.
“In 2007 the then Premier Morris Iemma, commissioned a review of convention and exhibition space in Sydney to make sure the city remains competitive in the national and international market,” he said.
“John O’Neill, who headed the review team, found that while there was a growing number of conventions being held in the Asia-Pacific region – Sydney’s position was slipping.
“John O’Neill found that there were only two facilities in Sydney capable of hosting large conventions and exhibitions – the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre and the Sydney Showgrounds at Sydney Olympic Park,” Mr Page said.
“Mr O’Neill recommended an immediate expansion of exhibition space at the Showgrounds and an expansion of the SCEC.
“Mr O’Neill said changes were necessary to ensure Sydney could compete in the national and international markets,” Mr Page said.
“The State Government’s decision to shelve the upgrading of the Showgrounds and the SCEC is short-sighted and we’ll now see more events going to Melbourne, Brisbane, the Gold Coast and offshore.
“Cities in South East Asia are also seeing the dollar signs and are putting millions into the convention and exhibition market and while their industries are growing, Sydney’s is declining.” Mr Page said.
“Those cities will see millions of dollars pour into their economies while we sit back and listen to the Government whinge about how poor it is.
“I acknowledge New South Wales is in a difficult financial position but surely someone in the Government realises that business tourism, and indeed tourism in general, is one of the biggest industries in the State and they need to be supported,” Mr Page said.
“Investment in the tourism industry will generate business and boost the economy that eventually creates wealth.
“Sometimes you have to spend money to make money,” Mr Page said.
“Stopping investment, as the Government announced this week, will see Sydney’s market share decrease further and that will mean a loss of millions of dollars every year – something we cannot afford.
“This decision, coupled with the announcement that $40-million, which was to be allocated to the tourism industry over the next three years, will now be stretched to cover four years, will make it extremely difficult for New South Wales to compete with markets in Victoria and Queensland,” Mr Page said.
“The State Government’s decision to not to proceed with the recommendations of the review into convention and exhibition space also raises another question.
“Why does the State Government bother commissioning reports and reviews if it is not prepared to act on the recommendations – that’s just a blatant waste of money,” Mr Page said.
