Jones Dail: Auckland Domain (Auckland Tennis) Amendment Bill — Second Reading Third Reading 
Jones Dail: Auckland Domain (Auckland Tennis) Amendment Bill — Second Reading Third Reading 
[Volume:647;Page:16701] 
DAIL JONES (NZ First) 
: 
 It gives New Zealand First great pleasure to support this bill the Auckland Domain (Auckland Tennis) Amendment Bill. As a member who returned to this House earlier this year it took me a few moments to get to grips with where this place was located because I have always called it Stanley Street. That is where tennis is played. I had a look through this bill again and again to see whether the place was actually called Stanley Street. In fact nowhere is Stanley Street mentioned. So I was a bit confused and I had to make certain from the Minister that it is really Stanley Street—and I will be referring to it as Stanley Street. 
Auckland was recently listed as the fourth-best city in the world in which to live and it well and truly deserves that recognition. One of the best things about being an Aucklander and living in Auckland especially during the summer is occasionally being able to spend one’s summer holidays as an Aucklander in Auckland. There are so many things to do. One can walk the harbour bridge one can go out on the harbour one can go to Rangitoto Island and of course one goes to Stanley Street for the tennis. As an Aucklander one always knows that when tennis is on at Stanley Street on about Wednesday or Thursday if has been dry it is bound to rain. It always rains at Stanley Street. The number of days it does not rain at Stanley Street at least for a day or so or half a day would be few—it is very very unusual. 
I have been going to Stanley Street for the tennis since the 1960s. I went to tennis there when there were grass courts. We had to pay and I can remember a wonderful game when Ken Rosewall and John Newcombe were playing doubles against a couple of New Zealand players. What a wonderful exhibition of tennis that was! We saw Newcombe go down to love-40 and come back to win his serve comfortably. It was quite extraordinary. The things that tennis has brought to Auckland and of course to New Zealand and what we have at Stanley Street are there for the benefit of all New Zealand. 
Over the years things have changed a number of times. I remember the days when we could sit virtually on the edge and watch Onny Parun and Brian Fairlie have a crack at each other on grass and watch Parun come back from 2 sets down to win 3 sets to 2 as he did so many times. Then came the move to hard courts and Rebound Ace. Stanley Street is really up to date. It made the significant change to go to Rebound Ace only a short while ago in order to link up with the Australian Open. 
Of course this is yet another step forward to making sure that the wonderful work done by Auckland Tennis Inc. is aided even further. As we know Auckland Tennis Inc. has ensured that the prize money available this coming year will at least equate to the prize money in Melbourne and we might get a few more top players coming to Auckland both for women’s tennis which is played in the first week and for men’s tennis which is played in the second week. That is quite a change from the days when Maria Bueno would play mixed doubles with men and the tournament was a male and female affair where people saw the top men and women playing at the same time. It has become more segregated and there is a lot more money involved but the enjoyment is still there. 
Everyone in Auckland should always take advantage of being able to go to Stanley Street. We saw a great turn-out for the women’s tennis there last year with the wonderful young player Marina Erakovic and with the top American player as well. This type of development will ensure the future of New Zealand tennis. One hopes that we might get some great players once again especially amongst the men and I am sure that people are doing the best they can to promote New Zealand tennis. However the standard is so enormously high and intense in the world today that it seems to be becoming more and more difficult to do so. But young Gareth Jones and others might produce doubles partners and we might see improvements as far as doubles is concerned. 
So New Zealand First wholeheartedly supports this development and looks forward—and I look forward in particular—to enjoying the new facilities with even more strawberries and cream as soon as possible in the forthcoming summers.