Page 3783 - Week 14 - Thursday, 10 December 1992
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Recommendation No. 5 is that $250,000 of the casino premium be allocated to equip the new community theatre on the corner of University Avenue and Childers Street. It was obvious to the committee that the new community theatre situated on this site needed to be provided with further funds which would supply it with the basic equipment necessary to operate as a fully functioning theatre.
Recommendation No. 6, the major recommendation of the committee, is that $5m of the casino premium be allocated to upgrading the Playhouse theatre and that $7m be devoted to providing a cultural and heritage facility in the city centre. Again, many people, through appearances at the public hearing and in written submissions, called for the provision of a 600- to 650-seat theatre to provide a middle range venue between the larger Canberra Theatre and the several smaller theatres in the ACT. The Canberra Theatre Trust's proposal to demolish the existing Playhouse and replace it with this middle size range theatre seemed appropriate. The committee notes that there should be some funds left over at the conclusion of this work which would provide for some upgrading of the existing Link facility. The committee recommends that a cultural and heritage facility should be established in either the North Building of Civic Square or the Childers Street/Kingsley Street area.
The committee noted that a number of community arts groups are looking for more appropriate accommodation. I will mention them because Mr Lamont made reference to paragraph 3.42 of the committee's report. Some of these groups include the Canberra Youth Performing Arts Centre, Canberra Youth Ballet Company, Gaudeamus, Canberra Youth Orchestra Society, Canberra Boys Choir, Stagecoach, the Young Music Society, ACT Music Office, a writers centre, the Australian Garden History Society, and the National Trust.
Recommendation No. 7 is that the Government facilitate the provision of space in the Kingston foreshores area for visual and community performing artists on an interim basis. Members will recall that the Planning, Development and Infrastructure Committee has an inquiry into the Kingston foreshores area currently on our agenda. It may well be that, with appropriate development of the area, permanent space could be found for visual and community performing artists.
Madam Speaker, I believe that this inquiry process into the allocation of the $19m casino premium has been a very worthwhile one. Over 60 submissions were received and over 20 people and organisations were represented at the public hearing. As noted in Appendix D of the report, the total value of all submissions received by the committee approximated $320m. There is no doubt that a wide range of community interest groups took particular interest in participating in this inquiry, and their contribution has been a true reflection of what a highly educated and interested community can contribute to parliamentary and government decision making processes. The committee's recommendations will not please everyone. However, I believe that our recommendations reflect the most appropriate use of the $19m casino premium at this time. I commend the report to the Assembly.
Debate (on motion by Mr Humphries) adjourned.
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