Page 2721 - Week 07 - Tuesday, 28 June 2011
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
The Committee recommends that the ACT Government conduct an audit of arts and cultural facilities in the ACT as suggested in the Loxton Report, and report to the Legislative Assembly on the last sitting day in March 2012.
The government has agreed to this in principle. It responded:
ArtsACT are currently conducting a full audit on facilities owned and managed by artsACT … This is anticipated to be completed by December 2011.
This, of course, will feed back into whatever it is that the government wants to do. The response goes on to state:
The Government will report back to the ACT Legislative Assembly on this matter during 2012.
Agreement in principle is fine, but the committee has made a very solid recommendation here. I think it is a recommendation based in fact and in reality that we do not know what we have got, not just owned and operated by artsACT but by all the arts community in the ACT. The problems that have arisen with Kingston foreshore arts precinct and the Fitters Workshop will simply continue. If you do not know what is required across the board for this sector, this very important sector, then you are going to end up with conflicts between various arms of the arts community. They do not particularly want to be in conflict, but what they want is a clear direction. That is not what they are getting from this government.
I think that everyone in this place would support Megalo and what it does. It is a world-class institution. It is worthy of support, but you have to question whether or not it should come at the expense of a very unique facility, an acoustic facility. Talking to people who have used it, who have been there, who have heard concerts there, who have performed there, it is unique. Yes, the decision has been made. But what this decision now requires is some leadership and a path forward so that we can actually keep the acoustic qualities of the Fitters Workshop as well as ensuring that Megalo get what it deserves, which is a facility where it can do what it does so well.
Recommendation 74 states:
The Committee recommends that the ACT Government take no further action in regard to the future use of the Fitters’ Workshop until the master plan—
that is, a Kingston foreshore arts precinct master plan—
has been completed and presented to the Legislative Assembly.
The government has simply said “not agreed”. It goes on to state:
Government is committed to re-locate Megalo Access Arts Inc. to the Fitters’ Workshop as part of the Kingston Cultural Precinct.
If you have not got a cultural precinct master plan, you really have not got a precinct. Just dropping things will get something that is less than desirable and less than
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video