Yes To Games And Tests Too 

 

By Dino Cesta - 20 December  2012

THE NEWCASTLE HERALD - Letter To The Editor 

 

I AM all for investigating the viability of staging a ‘‘Games’’ in our region, whether it’s the Commonwealth or Olympic Games, or any event for that matter. 

 

Have the proponents of the bid evaluated the cost-and-benefit outcomes from staging a Commonwealth Games? Will the Commonwealth Games become irrelevant by 2030? Will Australia still be part of the Commonwealth in 2030? Is staging the Games a means to an end, or an end to a means?

 

To bid for the Games purely to achieve infrastructure outcomes may seem a little disingenuous. It needs to be more than just infrastructure needs. 

 

And we’ll need to ensure we don’t end up having infrastructure ‘‘white elephants’’ scattered across the region post-Games. 

 

By all means investigate the viability of staging a Games but there must be both short- and longer-term economic, social and cultural benefits for the region as a whole. We should not be lumbered with a debt after the Games which future generations will need to shoulder through increased taxes.

 

Personally, I would also love to see Test match cricket played in our beautiful region – can we raise a council motion pushing that cause?

 

Dino Cesta, Hamilton