Blimps get the boot: Fraser

October 27 2006

Blimps get the boot: Fraser

The State Government will legislate to ban aerial ambush marketing over special sporting events at Queensland’s major sports facilities.

Sport Minister Andrew Fraser today confirmed he and the Premier would take amendments to Cabinet next week for the Major Sports Facilities Act, which would apply to facilities including Suncorp Stadium, the Gabba, Dairy Farmer’s in Townsville and the new Robina Stadium when constructed.

“I sought legal advice on this matter and in the end we have found that as a State we can legislate to ban the use of advertising material that’s visible from major sporting venues such as the Gabba,” Mr Fraser said.

“This would apply to aerial blimps, the erection of temporary signs in airspace and those hanging from buildings which might be visible from inside a sporting venue.

“I want to make it very clear though – the Federal Government controls airspace in this country, it has the ability to do this and the Ashes are about to be played around the country at five different venues in the next 12 weeks.

“The Commonwealth says legislation by each state is the answer but I still maintain the best result would be uniform laws that govern the entire country.

“The Federal Government could have done this very easily but they have shirked it so we have had to go down the path of looking at special legislation.

“John Howard claims to be a cricket tragic, yet on this matter he’s sitting in the pavilion.

“There’s a very clear point of the amendments to the Act – this form of ambush marketing by aerial blimps, for example, places in peril the major financial arrangements that major sporting events have in place as part of sponsorship.”

Mr Fraser placed the blimp issue on the agenda at a meeting of Sport Ministers from around the country in Darwin earlier this month in direct response to ambush marketing by Holden, which employed an aerial blimp at the AFL grand final.

“Sporting associations are heavily dependent on sponsorship but those deals can come under threat when all of a sudden you have a huge blimp over the ground advertising another company – they should not be permitted to get a free ride like that.”

Media Contact: Chris Taylor (07) 3227 8825