填空题
The cost of staging the year 2000 Olympics in Sydney is estimated
to be a staggering ＄960 million, but the city is preparing to reap the financial
benefits that ensue from holding such an international event by emulating the
commercial success of Los Angeles, the only city yet to have made a demonstrable
profit from the Games in 1984. At precisely 4:20 a. m. on Friday the 24th of
September 1993, it was announced that Sydney had beaten five other competing
cities around the world, and Australians everywhere, not only Sydneysiders, were
justifiably proud of the result. But, if Sydney had lost the bid, would the
taxpayers of NSW and of Australia have approved of governments spending millions
of dollars in a failed and costly exercise? There may have been
some consolation in the fact that the bid came in ＄1 million below the revised
budget and ＄5 million below the original budget of ＄29 million formulated in
mid-1991. However, the final cost was the considerable sum of ＄24 million, the
bulk of which was paid for by corporate and community contributions,
merchandising, licensing, and the proceeds of lotteries, with the NSW
Government, which had originally been willing to spend up to ＄10 million,
contributing some ＄2 million. The Federal Government's grant of ＄5 million
meant, in effect, that the Sydney bid was financed by every Australian
taxpayer. Prior to the announcement of the winning city, there
was considerable debate about the wisdom of taking financial risks of this kind
at a time of economic recession. Others argued that 70 percent of the facilities
were already in place, and all were on government-owned land, removing some
potential areas of conflict which troubled previous Olympic bidders. The former
NSW Premier, Mr. Nick Greiner, went on record as saying that the advantage of
having the Games... "is not that you are going to have ＄7.4 billion in extra
gross domestic product over the next 14 years... I think the real point of the
Games is the psychological change, the catalyst of confidence.., apart from the
other more obvious reasons, such as the building of sporting facilities,
tourism, and things of that nature." However, the dubiousness
of the benefits that Melbourne, an unsuccessful bidder for the 1988 Olympic
Games, received at a time when the State of Victoria was still in economic
turmoil meant many corporate bodies were unenthusiastic. There
is no doubt that Sydney's seductive physical charms caused the world's media to
compare the city favorably to its rivals Beijing, Berlin, Manchester, and
Istanbul. Mr. Godfrey Santer, the Australian Tourist Commission's Manager of
Corporate Planning Services, stated that soon after the bid was made, intense
media focus was already having a beneficial effect on in-bound
tourism. Developers and those responsible for community
development projects eagerly pointed to the improvements taking place to the
existing infrastructure of the city, the creation of employment, and especially
the building of sporting facilities, all of which meet the needs of the
community and help to attract more tourists. At Homebush Bay ＄300 million was
spent providing the twin athletic arenas and the "high-tech" Aquatic Centre.
However, perhaps the most impressive legacy was the new attitude shown towards
both industrial relations and environmental problems. The high-profile nature of
the bid; and the perception that it must proceed smoothly created a unique
attitude of co-operation between the workforce and employers involved in the
construction of the Olympic Village at Homebush Bay. The improvements included
the lack of strikes, the breaking down of demarkation barriers, and the
completion of projects within budget and ahead of time.
填空题
Which city is the only one yet to have made a demonstrable profit from the Olympic Games in 1984?
填空题
According to the second paragraph, who financed the Sydney bid?
填空题
When was the bid for the Games made?
填空题
According to the third paragraph, why the potential for conflict was less?
填空题
Not long after the bid for the Games was made, which industry benefited from the result?