❓ Mr Rundle questions the government's abrupt cessation of negotiations with Curtin University regarding the Hockey Australia Centre of Excellence lease. The Minister defends the government's actions, citing taxpayer interests and ongoing negotiations with additional requests from the university.
AnsweredQoN 710Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
HOCKEY AUSTRALIA —
CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE
710. Mr P.J. RUNDLE to the Minister for Sport and
Recreation:
I refer to the state's
successful bid for the Hockey Australia centre for excellence in the recent
report in The West Australian titled ''WA government threatens to
seize Perth Hockey Stadium land after 'unreasonable demand'''.
Why did the government abruptly
cease negotiations with Curtin University over the lease terms for the centre
at its Bentley campus and request the Minister for Lands consider an excision
of the land required when all of the major clauses had been agreed to by the
university?
CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE
710. Mr P.J. RUNDLE to the Minister for Sport and
Recreation:
I refer to the state's
successful bid for the Hockey Australia centre for excellence in the recent
report in The West Australian titled ''WA government threatens to
seize Perth Hockey Stadium land after 'unreasonable demand'''.
Why did the government abruptly
cease negotiations with Curtin University over the lease terms for the centre
at its Bentley campus and request the Minister for Lands consider an excision
of the land required when all of the major clauses had been agreed to by the
university?
AnswerView source ↗
I am very proud of the fact that we
won a very important bid for the high-performance hockey centre to continue in Western
Australia. It has been the key Olympic high-performance centre operating in
Perth for nearly 40 years. It is important for the national sporting landscape
that there is a national sporting entity based in Perth. They should not all be
based in the eastern states, as most of them currently are. We will fight to
make sure it stays here, and we have. Let me just highlight this: the land on
which the current centre operates and is located is ultimately owned by the taxpayers of Western Australia; it is owned
by the government. When we negotiate the massive upgrade and additions to the hockey centre, we will always
make sure that the best interests of the taxpayers of Western Australia are at the forefront of our consideration. That has been part of the good faith
bargaining that the government has been engaged in over a number of months with
Curtin University. We do not resile from that because we have to get the best
outcome for Western Australians.
I have to say that having a high-performance
hockey entity at Curtin University is in the best interests of Western Australians—all
of us. It is appropriate that it remains in that place and that we get the best
deal on behalf of the taxpayers of Western Australia. Our negotiations have
been based on good faith, and, quite frankly, we have been in prolonged
negotiations with Curtin University, and each time we have written to the
university seeking resolution, there have been a number of additional requests,
including in the latest letter that was sent. Therefore, it is not correct that
the university agreed to the last letter. We will continue to have
conversations, but I have written to the Minister for Lands to investigate the
proposal to excise the land, because if that is what we ultimately do, it will
be in the best interests of the taxpayers of Western Australia for that to
happen.
It
is important that we get on and build this newly enhanced high-performance
centre because it is good for hockey in Western Australia, it is good for
hockey nationally and it is good for the narrative that we promote of Western Australia being an important part of the
national sporting landscape and for high-performance centres for sports such as
hockey to be located on the western seaboard. All of the other major Olympic or
high-performance entities are located in other states on the eastern seaboard,
and we think we should at least have one or two here in Western Australia.
won a very important bid for the high-performance hockey centre to continue in Western
Australia. It has been the key Olympic high-performance centre operating in
Perth for nearly 40 years. It is important for the national sporting landscape
that there is a national sporting entity based in Perth. They should not all be
based in the eastern states, as most of them currently are. We will fight to
make sure it stays here, and we have. Let me just highlight this: the land on
which the current centre operates and is located is ultimately owned by the taxpayers of Western Australia; it is owned
by the government. When we negotiate the massive upgrade and additions to the hockey centre, we will always
make sure that the best interests of the taxpayers of Western Australia are at the forefront of our consideration. That has been part of the good faith
bargaining that the government has been engaged in over a number of months with
Curtin University. We do not resile from that because we have to get the best
outcome for Western Australians.
I have to say that having a high-performance
hockey entity at Curtin University is in the best interests of Western Australians—all
of us. It is appropriate that it remains in that place and that we get the best
deal on behalf of the taxpayers of Western Australia. Our negotiations have
been based on good faith, and, quite frankly, we have been in prolonged
negotiations with Curtin University, and each time we have written to the
university seeking resolution, there have been a number of additional requests,
including in the latest letter that was sent. Therefore, it is not correct that
the university agreed to the last letter. We will continue to have
conversations, but I have written to the Minister for Lands to investigate the
proposal to excise the land, because if that is what we ultimately do, it will
be in the best interests of the taxpayers of Western Australia for that to
happen.
It
is important that we get on and build this newly enhanced high-performance
centre because it is good for hockey in Western Australia, it is good for
hockey nationally and it is good for the narrative that we promote of Western Australia being an important part of the
national sporting landscape and for high-performance centres for sports such as
hockey to be located on the western seaboard. All of the other major Olympic or
high-performance entities are located in other states on the eastern seaboard,
and we think we should at least have one or two here in Western Australia.
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