Page 1223 - Week 07 - Wednesday, 23 August 1989
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been under great strain on many occasions. It has only recently, I think, been subjected to some upgrading, and I would encourage the committee not to overlook the library and the library service in their review of our cultural needs in the ACT.
In regard to the reference to section 19, I am certainly happy for the committee have a look at the section 19 proposal. I would ask them to bear in mind that section 19, we hope, will eventually become the primary cultural precinct in the ACT and a real centre for some vigorous cultural life in the ACT. I would point out, however, that the definition of cultural facilities in the project design brief for section 19 cannot really wait for this committee to report after 30 April 1990 and that the Government will in fact be continuing its own work to define and look at the facilities that might be required and might be possible on section 19.
We have, of course, a commitment there to ensuring that the community gets absolutely the most and the best possible cultural facilities as a result of the section 19 development. We will be continuing our work on that while the committee is continuing its work, and we would certainly value any input that the committee has on that matter in the meantime.
In concluding, briefly, I would like to refer to part 1(d) of the motion which refers to "Commonwealth financial assistance for those facilities which fulfil national functions". I would again refer the committee to some work that has already been done on the extent to which national cultural institutions meet the needs of the ACT community. I think they would find it quite enlightening there to see the extent to which institutions like the National Library and the Australian National Gallery are actually fulfilling our local ACT needs. In fact, it is the view of most reports on that matter that those national facilities do not really address the needs of the local ACT community and that we need to develop our own local institutions to fulfil our own community needs there.
But I would encourage the committee to look at the work that has been done on that matter rather than to reinvent the wheel on the national institutions, and also, as I said before, to make use of the expertise that does already exist, of the work that has been done in a number of these areas. I regard it as a useful exercise for the committee to pull together a lot of that work. As I have said, the Government will be supporting this motion.
MR DUBY (11.37): I have just risen to say how nice it is to hear across the house support for this committee being established. It is such an important facet of life in Canberra that it is something that really does require close examination. I know that the breadth of the inquiry, as specified here, is quite a large one. Like the other members who have spoken, I am looking forward to being on
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