Page 1431 - Week 06 - Wednesday, 6 June 2007

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Wednesday, 6 June 2007

MR SPEAKER (Mr Berry) took the chair at 10.30 am and asked members to stand in silence and pray or reflect on their responsibilities to the people of the Australian Capital Territory.

Albert Hall

MR PRATT (Brindabella) (10.32): I move:

That this Assembly:

(1) notes:

(a) the poor state of the Albert Hall, clearly a result of some years of government neglect;

(b) the cultural and heritage value of the Albert Hall to the Canberra community;

(d) the disappointment of the meeting with the failure of the Government to send a representative competent to comment on the tender process; and

(e) that public management of the Albert Hall offers the best guarantee for continued community use of the facility; and

(2) directs the ACT Government to:

(a) abort the current tender process for the management of the Albert Hall, and arrange a six month extension of the current management arrangements to enable a period for proper community consultation;

(b) expend the $1.8 million necessary to restore this building to an appropriate standard;

(d) establish a joint body with the Australian Government, including community representation, to report and advise on the planning and management of the Albert Hall Heritage Precinct; and

(e) ensure that the report or advice of the committee is considered against any future tender for the sale of the precinct.

Mr Speaker, before I start, I foreshadow that we will be putting forward an amendment to paragraph 2 (e) of the motion concerning the deletion of the word “sale” and the insertion of the word “lease.” We are concerned, of course, about any

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