Ms SACILOTTO - 2008-06-10
Can you please inform the House on what is planned for the upcoming opening of the Darwin Convention Centre and how Territorians can help celebrate the occasion?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Port Darwin for her question, because the convention centre and waterfront developments are in her electorate and she has been a very strong supporter of this project from day one. Being from a small business background, she understands implicitly how important this project is for the Territory’s economy.
The official opening of the convention centre is just a week away. Next Wednesday is official opening day, and Territorians are invited to take part in a five-day community celebration. We will be opening the convention centre to all Territorians, inviting people to come and have a look at what is going to be the jewel in the crown of Darwin’s tourism industry. The doors are open for everyone to come and have a look at their convention centre.
Twenty-three conventions and exhibitions have already been booked. That means 11 000 people will be coming to Darwin on a convention over the next 12 months that would not have come to Darwin at all. It represents a tremendous boost, not only to the tourism sector of our economy, but small business right across the Northern Territory. That it is a very significant result, given that people are booking the conventions, booking their trips before the convention centre has even proved itself in the marketplace – a very significant achievement.
During construction, hundreds of jobs were created on-site. I am very proud of this. We wrote into the Local Industry Participation Plan that 80% of contracts were to go to Northern Territory business - what the joint venture has succeeded in delivering is 95%. Out of every dollar that has been spent building that convention centre, 95% has gone to Territory businesses. About $90m-worth of work and another 180 jobs will be created at the centre for the next four years. This is a very significant outcome. I know many businesses across Darwin, the northern suburbs, Winnellie and Berrimah, which have been successful in gaining work at that convention centre.
I hope the Leader of the Opposition and the opposition do have a look, because we know they have been opposed to the project from the very start. In fact, the Leader of the Opposition said he would scrap it ...
Members interjecting.
Mr HENDERSON: Well, come down and see what has been achieved.
I quote from the Northern Territory News on 3 December 2004. The headline reads: ‘Scrap the Waterfront’. That is what the Leader of the Opposition said. It would not be there today. If the Leader of the Opposition had his way the convention centre would not be there. He was quoted as saying:
Those were your words, Leader of the Opposition. You would scrap the project. You did not want to see the convention centre. Well, I am a pretty magnanimous sort of a fellow and pretty generous; I extend an invitation to the Leader of the Opposition, come and see what would not be there if you had your way - no convention centre, no 11 000 delegates, we would still have an industrial wasteland down there.
The Leader of the Opposition has no vision. He would be a real risk to running this economy. He is an economic vandal. He would be a real risk in managing this economy. With all of the projects that we have put up - the convention centre, the waterfront, trying to attract INPEX, the Little Mindil development - none of these things would have happened under the Leader of the Opposition if he had his way. Once again, Northern Territory, big sign, ‘Closed for business’. That is not the case under my government. We will continue to drive investment, jobs and business opportunities for Territorians.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Port Darwin for her question, because the convention centre and waterfront developments are in her electorate and she has been a very strong supporter of this project from day one. Being from a small business background, she understands implicitly how important this project is for the Territory’s economy.
The official opening of the convention centre is just a week away. Next Wednesday is official opening day, and Territorians are invited to take part in a five-day community celebration. We will be opening the convention centre to all Territorians, inviting people to come and have a look at what is going to be the jewel in the crown of Darwin’s tourism industry. The doors are open for everyone to come and have a look at their convention centre.
Twenty-three conventions and exhibitions have already been booked. That means 11 000 people will be coming to Darwin on a convention over the next 12 months that would not have come to Darwin at all. It represents a tremendous boost, not only to the tourism sector of our economy, but small business right across the Northern Territory. That it is a very significant result, given that people are booking the conventions, booking their trips before the convention centre has even proved itself in the marketplace – a very significant achievement.
During construction, hundreds of jobs were created on-site. I am very proud of this. We wrote into the Local Industry Participation Plan that 80% of contracts were to go to Northern Territory business - what the joint venture has succeeded in delivering is 95%. Out of every dollar that has been spent building that convention centre, 95% has gone to Territory businesses. About $90m-worth of work and another 180 jobs will be created at the centre for the next four years. This is a very significant outcome. I know many businesses across Darwin, the northern suburbs, Winnellie and Berrimah, which have been successful in gaining work at that convention centre.
I hope the Leader of the Opposition and the opposition do have a look, because we know they have been opposed to the project from the very start. In fact, the Leader of the Opposition said he would scrap it ...
Members interjecting.
Mr HENDERSON: Well, come down and see what has been achieved.
I quote from the Northern Territory News on 3 December 2004. The headline reads: ‘Scrap the Waterfront’. That is what the Leader of the Opposition said. It would not be there today. If the Leader of the Opposition had his way the convention centre would not be there. He was quoted as saying:
- I do not want to see a project that is focused on a residential and convention centre.
Those were your words, Leader of the Opposition. You would scrap the project. You did not want to see the convention centre. Well, I am a pretty magnanimous sort of a fellow and pretty generous; I extend an invitation to the Leader of the Opposition, come and see what would not be there if you had your way - no convention centre, no 11 000 delegates, we would still have an industrial wasteland down there.
The Leader of the Opposition has no vision. He would be a real risk to running this economy. He is an economic vandal. He would be a real risk in managing this economy. With all of the projects that we have put up - the convention centre, the waterfront, trying to attract INPEX, the Little Mindil development - none of these things would have happened under the Leader of the Opposition if he had his way. Once again, Northern Territory, big sign, ‘Closed for business’. That is not the case under my government. We will continue to drive investment, jobs and business opportunities for Territorians.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016