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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Second Session (51-2)
2008-05-07 Daily Xml
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VICTORIA PARK REDEVELOPMENT

Mr PENGILLY (Finniss) (15:00): My question is for the Treasurer. Is the South Australian taxpayer exposed to a risk that plans to erect the new $20 million temporary grandstand in Victoria Park may fail, and if so what backup plans does the government have to protect the Clipsal 500 in 2009 from failure?

In information received by the opposition today, Motorsport Board chief executive Andrew Daniels admitted that construction of such a large temporary grandstand had never been accomplished before anywhere in the world. He said that the construction was a trial and he did not know if it would be possible until all the components arrive from Europe.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY (Port Adelaide—Deputy Premier, Treasurer, Minister for Industry and Trade, Minister for Federal/State Relations) (15:01): I tell you what, sir. I can make the opposition rest easy if they are concerned about whether the grandstand will stand or not. I am happy not to invite them to the government's facilities next year. If members opposite are concerned about whether or not it will collapse—

Ms Chapman: Are you going to get it up?

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: I don't think Andrew Daniels has any trouble getting it up. I don't know. I don't think he will, but I have never actually had that discussion with him so I do not know. What I can say is that is why we are taking 11 months in the first year. The idea is to actually put it up well before Christmas so that—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Well, if you've got a problem, I will give you this commitment: none of you need worry next March. You do not have to accept an invitation to come along. Then you will not have to be worried about it falling down.

The Hon. J.D. Hill: They'll be there.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: I bet you they will be. They'll be there. The reason we're putting it up before Christmas—

An honourable member interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Yes, I know. Too much frivolity for you, Gunny, isn't it? The reason we are putting it up well before Christmas is so that they can spend time erecting the stand and the structures and allow it to stand for a period of time so it can be certified. That is why, prudently, we are not rushing it five weeks before the race starts. All the advice that I have been given is that the Motorsport Board and Andrew Daniels are very confident and the engineers and the constructors—

Members interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: If you want to criticise the Clipsal, don't turn up next year. I might make this a requirement of our invitations next year, that if you are critical of it, we will not invite you. Fair enough?

The Hon. P.F. Conlon: No, we'll invite them.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: We'll invite you. My colleague has counselled me. We will invite you. We do invite a lot of you. Mark, you like it, don't you?

Mr Williams interjecting:

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: I am told—

The Hon. P.F. Conlon: Marty loves it.

The Hon. K.O. FOLEY: Marty loves it. Marty used to complain when we didn't invite him. I slipped him a couple of tickets. We are very confident that it will be a good structure, that it will stand. It will stand well before Christmas so that we can get it properly certified by the certifying certifiers and once they have certified it, it is certified and it will be hunky-dory.

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