QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
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EASTERN CREEK RACEWAY SUPERCAR TRACK
The Hon. M. R. EGAN: My question is directed to the Deputy Leader of the Government and the Minister for Planning and Minister for Energy, representing the Minister for Sport, Recreation and Racing and Minister Assisting the Premier. I ask the Minister how much more money this Government plans to spend on Eastern Creek? Has the Government considered a supercart track for the site? Will
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taxpayers now be required to pay around another $20 million on the track and its environs? Will the Government in any way finance or financially guarantee future events at Eastern Creek, which has been described by the Assistant Treasurer, the honourable member for North Shore, as a black-hole out of which the Government now finds it impossible to climb?
The Hon. R. J. WEBSTER: At least today the Leader of the Opposition has his procedural game plan right. Naturally, this is a very similar question to the one he tried to ask yesterday, but now he is able to ask it. A development application was lodged by Dovigo Pty Limited to construct a supercart, or go-cart, track at Eastern Creek. The Government has made no commitment whatsoever to that application. In fact, the development application has lapsed. There is no application by anyone with the Department of Planning and the Government has no plans to commit any more funds to Eastern Creek. While I have the opportunity I shall talk a little more about the western Sydney recreation area. It is very interesting to note that land acquisitions in the west started as early as 1973. During the time of the previous Wran and Unsworth Labor governments - and indeed for a very brief time during the time of the former conservative Government - a large amount of land was acquired in western Sydney for a recreation area, of which Eastern Creek is a part - for some very necessary green space corridors in the west.
One of the things that is most disappointing about the Opposition is that it appears to be totally unwilling to recognise the benefits to the people of western Sydney that will accrue from the western Sydney recreation area. All they seem to want to do is knock the Government. The truth is that there is a substantial investment in the western Sydney recreation area and in the Eastern Creek motorcycle track. We do not hear the Opposition talking too much about some of the things it did when it was in government. We all remember Darling Harbour; we still have Darling Harbour.
The Hon. D. F. Moppett: What about its attempts to recreate Moonee Ponds out at Chipping Norton? That was the greatest scandal of all times.
The Hon. R. J. WEBSTER: I thank the Hon. D. F. Moppett for reminding me of that. I have a very interesting schedule here. As we are talking about government expenditure on capital projects such as Eastern Creek, I remind the House of the illustrious record of the crew opposite when it was in government. Opposition members will all remember that the cost of Darling Harbour was estimated at $200 million. The actual cost was $795 million - a blowout of $595 million. We remember that the estimated cost of the Sydney football stadium was $58 million. It blew out to $68 million. That does not include the land acquisition. For Parramatta stadium there was a blowout of $1 million. The Chipping Norton lakes scheme cost $25 million, and we do not hear too much about that. The point I am trying to make is that this crew opposite -
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The Hon. M. R. Egan: We will take the credit for Darling Harbour if you will take the blame for Eastern Creek.
The Hon. R. J. WEBSTER: One of the problems with the Leader of the Opposition is that he continues to be negative. At Eastern Creek there is a world-class motor racing circuit, grandstands and land which can be developed in association with the motor racing industry. All of that will be of benefit to the people of New South Wales. Honourable members should look at what other States have spent. The Queensland Government has incurred a loss of $15 million on the Indy race, but it knew that that race would be of economic benefit to the people of Queensland. The activities of Eastern Creek, including the five-year plan announced by the Minister for Sport, Recreation and Racing and Minister Assisting the Premier, will be of immense benefit for the people of New South Wales. This year's grand prix was worth $12 million to the people of New South Wales. The truth is that Eastern Creek Raceway and the western Sydney recreation area are the jewels in the crown of New South Wales. This is something of which the people of New South Wales and western Sydney should be very proud. They have an asset that was acquired by various governments from 1973 on at a cost exceeding $110 million.
I do not think any of the members opposite come from the western suburbs. None of them come from the country either. If they ever bothered to go out there and talk to the people in the western suburbs, they would realise just how much the people appreciate not only what is being done for them by this Government - I like to give credit where it is due - but also by the previous Government. It was responsible for purchasing most of the land. In fact, the Leader of the Opposition, Bob Carr, was responsible for purchasing a great deal of the land in the western Sydney recreation area. Opposition members should be glad, but all they do is knock the Government. Yesterday the Hon. Franca Arena criticised the Government for considering some sort of sporting complex that we are not even considering. Opposition members do not like the Government doing anything for the people. Anything it does for the people, they criticise. There have been some minor problems with Eastern Creek, but history will show that the Eastern Creek Raceway and the western Sydney recreation area will be of enormous benefit in a recreational and social sense for the people of western Sydney. This is very important. Equally so, that area, and particularly the raceway, will be a major source of economic benefit for the people of New South Wales.