NSW: Olympics advanced tourism by 10 years: Knight

AAP General News (Australia)
12-15-2000
NSW: Olympics advanced tourism by 10 years: Knight

SYDNEY, Dec 15 AAP - The Olympics advanced "brand Australia" in the global market by
10 years, outgoing Games chief Michael Knight said today.

The Games, which cost NSW taxpayers $1.7 billion, had done a lot to promote Australian
tourism, Mr Knight said.

"It's done a lot to make the world think Australia is fantastic," he told fellow SOCOG
board member Graham Richardson on radio 2GB today.

"The Olympics advanced brand Australia by about 10 years for (Tourism Australia).

"People would go doing roadshows about tourism and conventions in Europe and they'd
be struggling to get 10 or 15 people, now they're beating them off with a stick."

Mr Knight said the advantage of the Sydney Olympics was that everything had been paid
for along the way and taxpayers were given back $30 million of a $140 million bailout
by the NSW government mid-year.

"It's all paid for. I mean along the way, we paid for all the facilities, all of the
costs together with running the games, the extra services, the extra trains, extra police,
all of that's been paid for," he said.

"SOCOG have given $30 million back yesterday and set another six aside for any unforeseen
contingencies, done at the same time the treasurer and the government reduced overall
state debt, so I'm pretty pleased about that."

Mr Knight also had a dig at the media for their questions about SOCOG's woes including
the ticketing fiasco.

"There's sort of bizarre discontinuity between what happens in the media and what happens
in the real world," Mr Knight said.

" ... I've copped a lot of knocks in the media but people out there in the real world
are very kind, very generous, very supportive and that's a lot more important."

He said Greek Olympic organisers had got their act together for Athens 2004, but despite
their efforts would find it hard to better Sydney's performance.

"I think the Greek organisers are getting their act together ... they've certainly
learnt a few things from Sydney.

"I think no matter how well the organisers go in Athens they will have a big challenge
to get over the top of a city and a people like Sydney."

Mr Knight leaves the NSW parliament next month after a 19-year stint including almost
five as Olympics minister.

AAP sal/jjs/cjh/bwl

KEYWORD: OLY KNIGHT (CARRIED EARLIER)

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