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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 4 Hansard (8 May) . . Page.. 1110 ..

MR HUMPHRIES (continuing):

Its principal function is to manage, control, develop, promote, present and coordinate the activities of the authority and to establish, conserve, exhibit and research collections of the authority or in the possession of the authority. In particular, there are designated locations where this will occur. These are the Canberra Theatre Centre, the Canberra Museum and Gallery - previously and informally referred to as the Canberra Cultural Centre - Lanyon historic property, Calthorpes' House, Nolan Gallery and, in cooperation with Miss Sylvia Curley, "Mugga Mugga" historic property.

Members should note that the principal role of this body is, as I have indicated, to control and develop cultural assets and collections held by the authority. I am aware that there are concerns in some quarters about the Cultural Authority having a role in determining cultural policy or even in allocating grants - roles which are currently taken by the Cultural Council. I want to assure members that this is about managing the Government's cultural assets and its collections, not about those other functions.

Other features of the Bill are the seven-member structure of the authority, provision for a chief executive officer, the ability to contract consultants, the requirement for the authority to comply with the Financial Management Act, and the requirement to provide information to the Minister on request. A key element of the Bill is the flexibility it provides to the authority in relation to commercially oriented ventures with the private sector. These partnerships will assist businesses and cultural facilities which have the potential to benefit from cultural activities or business support to increase their involvement. This is a key outcome in an area which will be actively seeking corporate support.

The ACT Government sees the move to a statutory authority in a positive light. It is anticipated that the ACT Government will provide the authority with similar funding over the next three years. The Canberra Cultural Authority is required to produce a business plan containing three-year financial projections and directions in order to provide the Government and the ACT with strategies and expected outcomes from cultural activities and collections in the ACT within three months of this Bill's enactment.

The existing and new staff of the corporation will be employed under the Public Sector Management Act and the current enterprise bargaining agreement. It is intended that, when the current Department of Business, the Arts, Sport and Tourism enterprise bargaining agreement expires in September 1998 and the Canberra Theatre Centre enterprise bargaining agreement expires in June 1998, a new Canberra Cultural Authority enterprise bargaining agreement will be established. Development of an authority model has been undertaken in consultation with the staff and relevant unions. This process of constructive consultation will continue into the new organisation and in discussions regarding a new enterprise bargaining agreement. Under the new arrangement, the chief executive officer of the Canberra Cultural Authority will have the employment powers of a chief executive under the Public Sector Management Act. The new corporation will commence its operation on 1 July 1997.

The Government intends, in the medium term, to create a lease or licence and transfer the Canberra Theatre Centre site to the authority, as it is an integral part of the Government's asset base and cultural activities venue. The properties which will come under the management of the authority are many and varied and, as such, it will take some time to

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