7 June 2011
AFL ships into Bellerive with support from
TT-Line
The Premier, Lara Giddings, said she was pleased to welcome the
AFL and the North Melbourne Football Club to Bellerive oval, thanks
to sponsorship support from TT-Line and the Spirit of
Tasmania.
Ms Giddings said the TT-Line had decided to support the
two-game-a-year deal, which also includes financial backing from
the Southern councils and the business community.
"I am extremely pleased that we have been able to reach an outcome
that is not only good for local businesses and the wider Tasmanian
economy, but is also a natural fit with TT-Line's core business
strategy to attract visitors on the Spirit of Tasmania I and II,"
Ms Giddings said.
"I want to thank everyone who has been involved in this process,
particularly the business community and the Hobart City Council for
their role in making this deal a reality."
Ms Giddings said the State Government is a strong supporter of the
economic benefits of playing additional AFL games in
Tasmania.
"We know from our 10-year relationship with Hawthorn that football
can play a vital role in boosting the economy, particularly during
the slow winter-period," she said.
"The experience with Hawthorn has been that over 30 per cent of
the crowd has come from interstate.
"It has also been shown to grow grass-roots football
participation, as well as improve access to professional football
for more Tasmanians
"However, in considering the funding deal with North Melbourne
over recent weeks, I decided that we could not justify spending
additional money from the State Budget at a time when we are asking
all departments, including health and education, to find
significant savings.
"I was not prepared to see this opportunity disappear, which is
why I spoke to a number of businesses last week, including TT-Line,
who were impressed by the commercial potential of this deal for
their business."
Ms Giddings said TT-Line's contribution would not have an impact
on the State Budget as the company is not required to return a
dividend to the Government.
"I understand TT-Line has been looking for an opportunity to tap
into the lucrative AFL market and this commercial arrangement will
create opportunities for advertising at the MCG and Bellerive oval,
as well as direct marketing to North Melbourne members," Ms
Giddings said.
"It will also allow the company to market package deals, both for
North Melbourne games in Hobart and Hawthorn matches at Aurora
Stadium in Launceston, to bring more tourists to the state.
"Research has shown that visitors who arrive on the Sprit of
Tasmania ferries spend more, stay longer and travel further than
those who arrive by air and as such, the benefits of increased
passenger numbers will be felt right across Tasmania."
Ms Giddings said today's deal was another important step towards
the ultimate goal of Tasmania securing its own AFL team.
"In order to make the case for our own team, we need to show that
we can take a truly statewide approach to football.
"Playing four games a year at Aurora Stadium and two at Bellerive
Oval will help prove that Tasmania is ready for its own team in the
competition."
The Minister for Economic Development, David O'Byrne, said the
North Melbourne deal would provide Tasmanian businesses with a
welcome economic boost.
"What is unique about this deal is that it is the result of a true
partnership between the business community, local government, the
State Government and now, TT-Line," Ms O'Byrne said.
"This is much more than a deal to bring AFL football to
Bellerive.
"This is an investment that will boost confidence by providing
passengers for taxis, customers for restaurants, guests for hotels,
patrons for local bars and tourist dollars for the wider
economy.
"By attracting an event of national significance we are able to
attract visitors to Tasmania who may not otherwise come.
"The Hawthorn deal delivers around $4 million in direct benefit to
the state economy for every game and we are hopeful that we will
see similar economic returns as a result of this agreement.
"As the Co-Chair of the working group involving the Tasmanian
Government, local government, and the business community, I would
like to thank everyone involved in reaching this outcome," he
said.
-ends-
For further information contact:
Soniya Fernandez
Spirit of Tasmania, Corporate Communications Coordinator
Email:
saf@spiritoftasmania.com.au
