Taking a pot shot at regional sports funding

By Alex Johnson
Updated November 7 2012 - 2:33pm, first published November 22 2009 - 10:48am
Member for South West Coast Denis Napthine takes aim at Laang, watched by State Opposition Leader Ted Baillieu. 091121AM38   Picture: ANGELA MILNE
Member for South West Coast Denis Napthine takes aim at Laang, watched by State Opposition Leader Ted Baillieu. 091121AM38 Picture: ANGELA MILNE

TIGER Woods was brought to Melbourne at a cost of $3 million but the State Government has failed to spend a cent on the world shooting championships held at Laang, according to Victorian Opposition Leader Ted Baillieu. Visiting the 31st FITASC World Sporting Clay Target Shooting Championships at Laang on Saturday, Mr Baillieu said Premier John Brumby had ignored the event because it was in regional Victoria. "John Brumby can find tens of millions from government coffers for Melbourne major events, but can't provide even modest support for this event which has attracted 627 competitors from 26 countries," Mr Baillieu said. "The Federation Internationale de Tir aux Armes Sportives de Chasse and the Warrnambool branch of the Sporting Shooters Association of Australia have done a great job in organising this world-class event.""Warrnambool and the region are buzzing from this event but no Labor minister or MP has offered their support, much less turned up to the championships at Laang. "Our local Liberal member Denis Napthine even found $500 to sponsor this event but John Brumby didn't provide a cent.""This event at the wonderful Laang shooting range is like the Olympic Games of sporting clay shooting and will bring millions of dollars into the economy of south-western Victoria," Mr Baillieu said. Malcolm Price, from the Sporting Shooters Association of Australia Warrnambool branch, said Tourism Victoria had contributed $12,500 to help the club promote the event overseas but no other government funding had been secured. Government spokesman Bill Kyriakopoulos said Mr Baillieu was a "lazy man". "His heart's just not in it and he's incapable of doing the hard work ? in this case on regional sport," he said. "The Brumby Labor Government has invested more than $120 million in regional sport, both at the grassroots and elite level, supporting and securing a range of regional sporting events including the Stawell Gift, motor sports at Phillip Island, and the world road cycling championships in Geelong next year."

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