NSW: Catholic Church to pay "significant amount" for Youth Day

AAP General News (Australia)
04-21-2008
NSW: Catholic Church to pay "significant amount" for Youth Day

SYDNEY, April 21 AAP - NSW Premier Morris Iemma says the Catholic Church will foot
much of the bill for its World Youth Day event in Sydney.

Mr Iemma today confirmed that NSW taxpayers would contribute $86 million towards the
staging of the July event, which includes a papal visit to Sydney, with much of the money
to be spent on policing, traffic management, security and other crowd-related issues.

"The Catholic Church is paying for a significant amount of the costs," Mr Iemma told
reporters in Sydney today.

"What we are doing with policing and transport, these are the arrangements that have
to be put in place for massive events."

Mr Iemma said World Youth Day would attract pilgrims from across the world and from
all over Australia, showcasing the city to a global audience while also generating $150
million in revenue.

"It's a huge event and it will bring many benefits to the city," he said.

"Also (the revenue estimate) doesn't include the impact on our tourism industry ...

in much the same way the Commonwealth Games (in Melbourne in 2006) had a net benefit to
Victoria," Mr Iemma said.

No figures were available on the overall cost or the Catholic Church's contribution.

AAP dr/wjf/jfm/cdh

KEYWORD: YOUTH COST IEMMA

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