Mr WOOD - 2003-05-29
According to the local media, it seems that the government is considering providing land for soccer near the Berrimah Power Station. Would the minister say why the Marrara sporting precinct, the main centre for Darwin sport, is not a suitable place for the home of soccer? Would he agree that putting soccer away from Marrara and under the main flight path into Darwin is a silly one? Why won’t the government consider the use of this industrial land at Berrimah as a suitable place for the $1.6m container terminal proposed for the Middle Arm Peninsula?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his question. I assure you that the government did not offer any land for soccer in Berrimah. As a matter of fact, my colleague, the minister for sport, has been negotiating with the Soccer Federation and other interested parties. He suggested a way to work through the difficulties and differences, and has asked me to come back to him by June with suggestions of what soccer is going to do in the Northern Territory. Following that, then we negotiate the possibility of granting some land, but certainly, I assure you, not in Berrimah. I am very keen to watch the sport grow.
My colleague, Paul Henderson, and I have children who play soccer, and yourself and the Chief Minister - a very good team, I might add. However, we will be negotiating for the land after they come to us and advise the minister for sport how they are going to bring the sport up to a certain level in the Territory.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for his question. I assure you that the government did not offer any land for soccer in Berrimah. As a matter of fact, my colleague, the minister for sport, has been negotiating with the Soccer Federation and other interested parties. He suggested a way to work through the difficulties and differences, and has asked me to come back to him by June with suggestions of what soccer is going to do in the Northern Territory. Following that, then we negotiate the possibility of granting some land, but certainly, I assure you, not in Berrimah. I am very keen to watch the sport grow.
My colleague, Paul Henderson, and I have children who play soccer, and yourself and the Chief Minister - a very good team, I might add. However, we will be negotiating for the land after they come to us and advise the minister for sport how they are going to bring the sport up to a certain level in the Territory.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016