❓ A WA parliamentary question regarding the cancellation of the Hopman Cup and the securing of the ATP Cup in Perth. The questioner is critical of the government's handling of the Hopman Cup, while the government defends its decision by highlighting the benefits of the ATP Cup.
AnsweredQoN 5051Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to the article on page 4 of The West Australian on 28 March 2019 which stated, "The WA Government had a contract with Tennis Australia and the International Tennis Federation to stage the Hopman Cup through to 2022, but the contract was able to be amended if all parties agreed", and I ask: (a) Can the Minister confirm that the amendments were made to the contract agreed to under the former Barnett Government, in which the Government exercised a contract option in 2017 to secure the Hopman Cup in Perth through to 2022; (b) If yes to (a), what were the amendments to the contract agreed by the State Government, Tennis Australia and the International Tennis Federation; (c) As the Hopman Cup is one of Perth's most successful home-grown sporting events, can the State Government demonstrate how it has acted in the interests of tennis professionals and the people of Western Australia in not preserving the event's future here in Perth; (d) Did the State Government ever consider that the ATP Cup and the Hopman Cup could co-exist; (e) If no to (d), why not; (f) Was the possibility of hosting the Hopman Cup in Perth in the week prior to the ATP Cup (or at a different time of the year) ever considered by the State Government; (g) If no to (f), why not; and (h) Given that the New South Wales Government has secured the finals of the ATP Cup until 2022, what efforts will the State Government make to secure the finals of the event in future years in Perth?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
7 May 2019
Responded by
Minister for Tourism
Response time
5 days
(a) Yes.
(b) The parties agreed to release each other from their obligations under the contract.
(c) The new ATP Cup will be a lead-in event to the Australian Open, held during the same week as the Hopman Cup. A Hopman Cup run in conflict with the new ATP Cup would have been unsuccessful and likely unsustainable. The ATP Cup will attract up to 100 of the world’s best male tennis players and this would have made it impossible, for the Hopman Cup to recruit top teams with high-quality male players. The Hopman Cup would not have been able to deliver the standard of international tennis that Perth fans have enjoyed in the past.
The ATP Cup will also impact national and global television coverage that the Hopman Cup was able to secure.
As there was no option to retain the Hopman Cup un-impacted, the choice was for the State to have no international tennis or to secure the ATP Cup. If the ATP Cup was not secured, there would not have been an option for WA to host the tournament until at least 2026 when Tennis Australia’s current host city agreements expire.
The new ATP Cup will attract the world’s best male tennis players and help launch the global tennis season every January in Perth. It will also give the people of Perth and WA more opportunities to see world-class tennis live, and attract significant media attention and global TV coverage showcasing Perth and WA to the world.
(d) Yes
(e) Not applicable
(f) Yes
(g) Not applicable
(h) A competitive request for proposal process was undertaken by Tennis Australia, which took into account a range of factors. The WA Government participated in this process and while Sydney has secured the finals until 2022, the Government will put forward the best possible bid at the next opportunity for Perth to host the finals in the future.
(b) The parties agreed to release each other from their obligations under the contract.
(c) The new ATP Cup will be a lead-in event to the Australian Open, held during the same week as the Hopman Cup. A Hopman Cup run in conflict with the new ATP Cup would have been unsuccessful and likely unsustainable. The ATP Cup will attract up to 100 of the world’s best male tennis players and this would have made it impossible, for the Hopman Cup to recruit top teams with high-quality male players. The Hopman Cup would not have been able to deliver the standard of international tennis that Perth fans have enjoyed in the past.
The ATP Cup will also impact national and global television coverage that the Hopman Cup was able to secure.
As there was no option to retain the Hopman Cup un-impacted, the choice was for the State to have no international tennis or to secure the ATP Cup. If the ATP Cup was not secured, there would not have been an option for WA to host the tournament until at least 2026 when Tennis Australia’s current host city agreements expire.
The new ATP Cup will attract the world’s best male tennis players and help launch the global tennis season every January in Perth. It will also give the people of Perth and WA more opportunities to see world-class tennis live, and attract significant media attention and global TV coverage showcasing Perth and WA to the world.
(d) Yes
(e) Not applicable
(f) Yes
(g) Not applicable
(h) A competitive request for proposal process was undertaken by Tennis Australia, which took into account a range of factors. The WA Government participated in this process and while Sydney has secured the finals until 2022, the Government will put forward the best possible bid at the next opportunity for Perth to host the finals in the future.
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