PRIME MINISTER
EMBARGOED UNTIL DELIVERY CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY
SPEECH BY THE PRIME MINISTER FOR
THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF
THE AIS HALLS OF RESIDENCE AND ADMINISTRATION CENTRE,
29 OCTOBER 1985, CANBERRA
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
IN A FEW MINUTES IT WILL BE MY DUTY TO DECLARE OFFICIALLY
OPEN THIS SPLENDID COMPLEX THE AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF
SPORT'S HALLS OF RESIDENCE AND ADMINISTRATION CENTRE.
BEFORE I DO SO, HOWEVER, I SHOULD LIKE TO REFLECT WITH YOU ON
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF SPORT IN AUSTRALIAN LIFE AND TO SHARE
WITH YOU A SENSE OF PERSPECTIVE ON WHAT HAS BEEN ACHIEVED
HERE AT THE AIS.
SPORT HAS TRADITIONALLY OCCUPIED A PROMINENT PLACE IN
AUSTRALIAN SOCIETY AND CULTURE. AUSTRALIANS HAVE
TRADITIONALLY CHOSEN TO DEVOTE A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THEIR
LEISURE TIME TO PARTICIPATION IN, OR SUPPORT OF, SPORT AND
SPORTING EVENTS.
THIS IS THE RESULT OF THE NATURAL ADVANTAGES PROVIDED BY OUR
CLIMATE. IT IS A FUNCTION OF WHAT IS OFTEN REFERRED TO AS
THE AUSTRALIAN WAY OF LIFE. IT REFLECTS THE GENUINE PRIDE
THAT AUSTRALIANS HAVE TAKEN IN THE INTERNATIONAL SUCCESS OF
MANY OF OUR SPORTSMEN AND SPORTSWOMEN, AS WELL AS THE WAY
THEY HAVE CONDUCTED THEMSELVES IN THOSE ACHIEVEMENTS.
THE GOVERNMENT'S SUPPORT FOR SPORT OPERATES AT TWO LEVELS.
AT ONE LEVEL WE ARE COMMITTED TO PROMOTING AND ENCOURAGING
THE PURSUIT OF EXCELLENCE IN SPORT. AT ANOTHER LEVEL WE
CONSIDER IT IMPORTANT THAT THERE SHOULD BE WIDESPREAD
COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN SPORT. BOTH OBJECTIVES ARE
IMPORTANT AND ARE MUTUALLY REINFORCING.
2.
THESE OBJECTIVES UNDERPIN THE WHOLE RATIONALE FOR THE
INSTITUTE AND ITS ACHIEVEMENTS SINCE BEING DEVELOPED IN 1980
BY THE THEN MINISTER FOR SPORT, THE HON. BOB ELLICOTT.
THE ORIGINAL CONCEPT, HOWEVER, BEGAN WITH THE LATE FRANK
STEWART, WHO WAS MINISTER RESPONSIBLE FOR SPORT UNDER THE
FORMER LABOR GOVERNMENT.
I CAN THINK OF NO MORE APPROPRIATE COMMENT ON TODAY'S
IMPORTANT CEREMONY THAN THAT, IF FRANK STEWART WERE WITH US,
I KNOW HE WOULD REALISE THAT EVERYONE HAS DONE HIS CONCEPT
PROUD. TODAY WE FORMALLY MARK THE COMPLETION OF THE FINAL STAGE OF
THE CURRENT CAPITAL WORKS PROGRAM AT THE AIS.
WE CAN LOOK BACK WITH PRIDE ON WHAT HAS NOW BEEN BROUGHT TO
FRUITION FOR THE AIS.
THE NATIONAL ATHLETICS STADIUM, CONSTRUCTED IN 1977 FOR THE
PACIFIC CONFERENCE GAMES WAS THE FIRST MAJOR FACILITY
COMPLETED. RECENTLY, THE STADIUM WAS THE SITE OF THE HIGHLY
SUCCESSFUL WORLD CUP ATHLETICS, AT WHICH TWO WORLD RECORDS
WERE SET.
THE FACILITIES COMPLETED SINCE THEN INCLUDE THE INDOOR AND
OUTDOOR TENNIS AND NETBALL COURTS, THE INDOOR SWIMMING POOL,
AND THE WEIGHTLIFTING AND SOCCER HALLS.
THE OPENING TODAY OF THE INSTITUTE'S HALLS OF RESIDENCE AND
ADMINISTRATION CENTRE COMPLETES WHAT HAS BEEN A REMARKABLE
PROGRAM OF PROJECT DEVELOPMENT OVER A RELATIVELY FEW SHORT
YEARS, AND WHICH HAS RESULTED IN AN INSTITUTE NOW RECOGNISED
AS ONE OF THE BEST MULTI-PURPOSE SPORTS TRAINING CENTRES IN
THE WORLD.
THE RESIDENTIAL COMPLEX ITSELF CAN NOW ACCOMMODATE 320
INCLUDING SOME 260 FULL-TIME ATHLETES WHO WILL BE ON SITE FOR
MOST OF THE YEAR, GROUPS OF ATHLETES UNDER THE NATIONAL
TRAINING SCHEME WHO WILL BE ACCOMMODATED FOR BRIEF PERIODS
FROM TWO DAYS TO TWO WEEKS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, AND OVERSEAS
VISITORS, COACHES AND OTHER SPECIAL GUESTS WHO VISIT THE
INSTITUTE FOR SHORT PERIODS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. THIS
FINANCIAL YEAR SOME 55 TEAMS WILL BE ACCOMODATED.
AS IMPORTANT AS THIS CONSTRUCTION PROJECT IS IN ITSELF, THERE
IS MUCH MORE TO IT THAN BRICKS AND MORTAR.
THERE IS, FOR INSTANCE, THE DEDICATION AND SPIRIT OF THE AIS
ATHLETES AND COACHING STAFF, AND THE RESEARCH AND APPLICATION
OF THE SPORTS SCIENCE/ MEDICINE PERSONNEL. THIS IS ASSISTED
GREATLY BY THE OVERALL DEVELOPMENTAL AND CO-ORDINATING ROLE
OF THE BOARD OF MANAGEMENT AND THE ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF.
AND, OF COURSE THERE IS THE BACKING OF SPONSORS TO SUPPLEMENT
THE ESSENTIAL AND MAJOR ROLE WHICH I AM PROUD TO SAY THE
COMMONWEALTH GOVERNMENT HAS PLAYED IN CONCEIVING AND CREATING
THE AIS AND ITS FACILITIES. IN THE YEARS AHEAD WE WILL
CONTINUE OUR SUPPORT FOR THE SPORTSMEN AND SPORTSWOMEN OF
AUSTRALIA. IT WOULD BE WRONG OF ME TO OVERLOOK THE FACT THAT SINCE ITS
INCEPTION, AND INCLUDING FOLLOWING THE RECENT WORLD CUP
ATHLETICS, THERE HAS BEEN SOME CRITICISM DIRECTED AT THE AIS.
WE SHOULD BE CLEAR ON SOME IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF THIS ISSUE.
THE AIS IS INTENDED TO ASSIST IN UPGRADING PROGRESSIVELY
AUSTRALIA'S COMPETITIVE PERFORMANCE IN A WIDE RANGE OF
SPORTS. WE SHOULD NOT DELUDE OURSELVES THAT ITS
ESTABLISHMENT IS IN ITSELF A GUARANTEE OF INSTANT SUCCESS IN
WORLD COMPETITION. OTHER COUNTRIES ARE PAYING THE SAME
ATTENTION TO UPGRADING THEIR COACHING AND TRAINING
FACILITIES, AND STANDARDS IN ALL SPORTS ARE CONSTANTLY BEING
IMPROVED. IN THE LONGER-TERM IT IS A QUESTION NOT ONLY OF
HAVING AVAILABLE A FACILITY SUCH AS THE AIS, BUT OF BEING
ABLE TO IDENTIFY THE TALENT BEST EQUIPPED TO UTILISE ALL THAT
THE INSTITUTE HAS TO OFFER, AND OF THOSE YOUNG SPORTSMEN AND
SPORTSWOMEN BEING PREPARED TO MAKE THE TOTAL COMMITMENT WHICH
IS NOW ESSENTIAL FOR SUCCESS IN WORLD COMPETITION.
AT THE SAME TIME THE AIS CAN ALREADY BE PROUD OF THE
ACHIEVEMENTS OF A NUMBER OF ITS ATHLETES. THESE INCLUDE
ALTHOUGH THE LIST IS NOT INTENDED TO BE EXCLUSIVE MARATHON
RUNNER ROBERT DE CASTELLA; FEMALE SWIMMERS SUE LANDELLS,
MICHELLE PEARSON AND LISA CURRY; A SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER OF THE
MEN'S AND WOMEN'S HOCKEY TEAMS; THE MAJORITY OF THE
AUSTRALIAN TEAM SHORTLY TO COMPETE IN THE WORLD GYM4NASTICS
CHAMPIONSHIPS; AND A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF THE AUSTRALIAN
NETBALL TEAM.
THEIR SUCCESS, AND THE MANNER OF ACHIVEMENT OF THAT SUCCESS,
WILL BE IMPORTANT IN ENCOURAGING OTHERS TO COMMIT THEMSELVES
BOTH TO EXCELLENCE IN SPORT, AND TO PARTICIPATION IN SPORT AT
THE COMMUNITY LEVEL, IN THE YEARS AHEAD.
I AM SURE THAT ALL AUSTRALIANS JOIN ME IN WISHING THESE AND
ALL OTHER ATHLETES PRESENT AND FUTURE EVERY SUCCESS.
AND NOW I HAVE MUCH PLEASURE IN OFFICIALLY DECLARING OPEN THE
AIS HALLS OF RESIDENCE AND ADMINISTRATION CENTRE.