NSW: State government bails out Taronga

AAP General News (Australia)
12-19-2000
NSW: State government bails out Taronga

The New South Wales government has partly come to the rescue of the financially ailing
Taronga and Western Plains Zoos with a $4 million funding package.

Premier BOB CARR announced the much needed cash injection while opening the $3.5 million
Creatures of the Wollemi exhibition at Taronga today.

Mr CARR says the funding to the NSW Zoological Parks Board, which administers both
the Sydney and Dubbo zoos, has been justified by Taronga's huge tourism potential.

Mr CARR thinks the pressure on the zoo has been enormous.

He says the zoo is a well trodden tourist attraction and the pressure of keeping up
has been pretty great.

Just how great was revealed last week when the New South Wales auditor-general released
a report showing the Board had liabilities of $6.7 million, almost double the amount recorded
last year.

While it raised $37.7 million in 1999-2000 from entrance fees, franchising and grants,
outgoing funds amounted to $34.7 million.

Mr CARR says the government is committed to getting the Board back on track.

AAP RTV aa/jw/klw/hn

KEYWORD: ZOO (SYDNEY)

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