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Legislative Assembly for the ACT: 1997 Week 5 Hansard (14 May) . . Page.. 1402 ..

MRS CARNELL (continuing):

I was stunned this morning to hear the critics carping that there was no real commitment to the museum in this budget and that nothing would happen for at least another year, when the Federation Fund is established. I can assure members and the Canberra community that a great deal of work will be done on the project in 1997-98. Indeed, I think it is appropriate to quote from the Federal budget papers:

A separate appropriation of $7m has been made in the Budget so that construction of the Museum can begin promptly on the Acton Peninsula.

I do not think you could be more definite than that, Mr Speaker. Anyone who has driven across Commonwealth Avenue Bridge recently will have seen that demolition has already started on Acton Peninsula in preparation for the museum construction. The clearing of the site should be completed by the end of this calendar year and, as well as the $7m committed by the Federal Government to the project in 1997-98, we have committed $3m to infrastructure works.

The Federal Minister for Communications and the Arts, Senator Richard Alston, estimates that the $7m committed to the museum during 1997-98 will generate about 200 jobs during this coming financial year. In addition, I am advised that the architect for the museum will be selected through an international design competition, which is likely to commence in the next couple of months. The public will have a chance to comment on proposed designs through the parliamentary approval process. Construction of the museum and the Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies is expected to take about three years and will be one of Canberra's biggest construction projects. The ACT Government is working with the Commonwealth to co-locate our own ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Centre with the National Museum on Acton Peninsula.

There were some other good aspects for the ACT contained in this budget, namely, the Commonwealth commitment to the continued redevelopment of Russell Offices, with an expenditure of $85m in 1997-98; an additional $20m over four years for the Commonwealth to refurbish national assets, including a range of restoration works on Old Parliament House, in the parliamentary zone, and the Australian-American War Memorial; a share of the 500 additional places for families accessing personal care and accommodation support for people with a severe or profound disability; and the overdue extension to the Acton headquarters of the National Film and Sound Archive. I also welcome the Commonwealth's further announcement of expenditure in the order of $4m in 1997-98 as part of the Old Parliament House refurbishment program.

Mr Speaker, one of the critical announcements in the budget relates to the new infrastructure tax rebate program designed to promote private sector investment in new public infrastructure such as the proposed very high speed train between Canberra and Sydney. This initiative will be a significant boost to the parties who have submitted expressions of interest in the proposal. Another initiative was announced in the budget which complements the ACT Government's existing economic strategy for Canberra.

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