Not just hot air

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You’ll find on this page concrete ideas from Alice Springs Town Council candidates and Legislative Assembly candidates about making Alice Springs a better place.
We’re looking for proposals that include details such as costs, benefits (financial and other), evidence of the likely support the proposal would get, and where else a similar scheme is working.
Thoughts you may like to put into the comment box will be one way of influencing the elections during this make-or-break time for the town.
 
ALDERMAN ELI MELKY: Sports tourism to boost Alice Springs
Let’s promote Alice Springs as the ideal venue to host national sporting tournaments where the focus is on attracting sports with a lower profile, but have a strong participation level.
Sports like table tennis, ten pin bowling, lawn bowls, darts, eight ball, gymnastic, chess, basketball, and baseball all have good participation levels.  Recently table tennis had an opportunity to host a national AWD tournament in Alice Springs which would have attracted 400 people to the town.
On an average spend of $550 per person, the town’s economy could have had an injection of $220,000. Do that 10 times with different sports and there’s $2.2million dollars.
He hopes that the benefits through word of mouth would generate ongoing visits to the town. If the kids and sporting clubs who visit have a nice experience, then I expect they will tell all their friends back home and word of mouth will start us back on the right track.
In the past we may have been focused too much on high profile sports, but if we take this approach to support lots of small events as oppose to a few large expensive events, it will be far more feasible.
We have everything we need in the town, there are great people who run these sports clubs and are great organisers.
Alice Springs geographical advantage being in the Centre of Australia, gives it an added distinct edge on other locations.
I hope to get the support of Tourism CA, the Chamber of Commerce and the Alice Springs Town Council and get behind a “Sports Tourism” industry, because “together we can do anything”.
Contact me on 0427 012 699.
 
 
EDAN BAXTER, Candidate: A regular Law & Culture gathering in Alice Springs
Council candidate Edan Baxter  is promoting the idea of a regular  “Law & Culture” gathering in the Alice Springs region, with the Town Council going into partnership to support it.
“Anyone that has attended or participated in an event such as Garma, Walking with Spirits or the Dreaming Festival will know what a great experience it is for everyone involved,” he says.
“The Town Council has a range of resources, partnerships and knowledge gained from supporting other large events, and I’d like to see if there is a way for the Town Council to get right behind such an event.
“Obviously there will need to be consultation with regional language groups and other stakeholders, but I believe there is a important role for the Alice Springs Town Council to play.
“Let’s start looking into how a similar event can occur in Central Australia on a regular basis. Last year, in the local media, there were a number of calls for another Yeperenye Festival – but nothing came of it. If I am elected to Alice Springs Town Council, I will work to ensure that resources are made available to conduct consultations, research the costings and prepare a feasibility report. Then, when the time is right, Alice Springs Town Council will be action-ready to do what it can to support such an event occurring.
“It’s not for me to say how the format of such an event will end up looking and that’s why going through a process is important. Let’s just see if the interest is out there. If it is, perhaps the event will draw inspiration from the Yeperenye Festival of 2001 – but who knows, it could be something quite different. Perhaps it could be part-symposium and include contributions from other cultures from around the world.
“Whatever the outcome, if things are done the proper way and the right people are ready to get involved, we can come up with something really unique in the Red Centre – and it will be a fantastic opportunity to showcase our region to the world!”
Mr Baxter will be holding a public discussion about the concept at “Melanka’s Park” (opposite CAAMA) on this Friday at noon.

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