House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Second Session (51-2)
2007-11-21 Daily Xml

Contents

CLIPSAL 500

Mr HAMILTON-SMITH (Waite—Leader of the Opposition) (14:16): My question is again to the Minister for the City of Adelaide. What plans does the minister have to maintain the international and national tourism reputation of the Clipsal 500 V8 car race? The Clipsal race and the associated entertainment events are held in and around Victoria Park. With no prospect of a permanent facility for patrons, and the possibility that the horse race tenancy will be abandoned, the race venue and its attractiveness is likely to wane. Stakeholders want to know the minister's plans (as Minister for Tourism) to protect the event's tourism value. You are the Minister for Tourism now, are you?

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY (Port Adelaide—Deputy Premier, Treasurer, Minister for Industry and Trade, Minister for Federal/State Relations) (14:16): Not only do I think I am doing a very good job in managing the Victoria Park grandstand upgrade project, I am not doing a bad job managing the Clipsal 500 as well. I just might blow my own trumpet today. As I said yesterday, we will have the biggest Clipsal event ever in February next year. It will be the 10th anniversary and we will be pushing upwards towards 300,000 people.

Whether we have a permanent structure or brand new demountable structures, we will still have the best possible physical assets of a grandstand structure that we could possibly have in South Australia. The success of the Clipsal 500 is not just about the grandstand; it is about all the other great things that we do as a government. I look forward to the Clipsal 500 next year being an outstanding event.