Federal Labor makes $100m Canberra convention centre funding for planning, new aquatic centre

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Federal Labor has also committed to spend $100-million-dollars for the design and construction of a new aquatic centre in commonwealth park, as well as feasibility work for a new national convention and entertainment precinct. The funding commitment which will be matched by the ACT government has been welcomed by tourism and business groups, while the territory’s Independent senator claiming some credit.

Transcript

00:00Labor luminaries sat alongside rank-and-file members for the party's local campaign launch.

00:08And while the Prime Minister was absent, they think they've hit on a crowd pleaser.

00:14The re-elected Labor government will invest $100 million from the Commonwealth, matched

00:20by the ACT government, to get a national convention and entertainment centre precinct construction

00:26ready.

00:29It will be a game changer for our city's tourism, business events and hospitality economy.

00:36The ACT government included plans to move the ageing Civic Pool to Commonwealth Park

00:40and in its place build an 8,000 seat venue in last year's Territory Budget, but had been

00:45seeking 50-50 funding from the Commonwealth.

00:48The work that's been funded now, that will take place over the next few years, will get

00:53us to the point that we could put a construction tender out to the market.

00:58We won't know the final cost, obviously, until we see the tenderers bid back.

01:04Tourism advocates have been calling for a replacement of the convention centre for decades,

01:08but couldn't get federal backing.

01:10We're missing out on tens of millions of dollars of business, and of course that business flows

01:15right through the economy.

01:17So it's desperately needed.

01:19Independent ACT Senator David Pocock has also long argued for more entertainment and sporting

01:25venues.

01:26He welcomed Labor's commitment, but says it's just a start.

01:29They've had four budgets delivered for the ACT and we're now seeing a feasibility study

01:34funded as an election commitment.

01:36What Canberrans want is an actual plan for our city.

01:40Senator Gallaher denies Labor's taken Canberra for granted, but conceives there's a new campaign

01:45dynamic in the capital.

01:47David Pocock brought big money to this town.

01:50We didn't have it before.

01:51You ran a campaign on the smell of an oily rag, on fundraising and local events.

01:57My campaign was about $20,000.

01:59I fundraised all of it myself.

02:02I'm in a contest with somebody who spends up to $2 million.

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