Page 5131 - Week 12 - Thursday, 27 October 2011
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12 words, this government wants to allocate only about 25 per cent of the Fitters Workshop to be used as exhibition space—highly specialised exhibition space—with the rest used for office space and machinery.
In another statement also made on 21 June this year, artsACT said in an email to Minister Burch’s office: “Given that there are 12 months in a year, the venue could have a program of say 8 events each approx a month long. These could include music, gallery display for Canberra Glassworks, Craft ACT, Megalo, Canberra Contemporary Art Space either as solo activities or shared exhibition space. Contemporary dance could be programmed, Screen events and museum displays or even public arts workers could hire for making large works. “Festival Events” could see the Fitters’ as a unique venue.”
This is the advice of the arts bureaucrats to this minister. This is the advice of the arts bureaucrats to this minister as recently as June this year. Notice, Madam Deputy Speaker, that music topped the list of possibilities, but that Megalo’s activities were also listed. More importantly, notice the range of activities that the Fitters Workshop could be hosting. This is what has been envisaged by the arts bureaucrats; it could be kept as a flexible, multipurpose, community use facility.
But no. This government made a decision in 2008, via 12 words written in the Chief Minister’s hand on top of a two-page letter. This is a disgraceful decision-making process which must be tested by the Assembly.
In reviewing the motion, as I said before, I noticed that there was a vital date missing, which I was proposing to amend. I think that Ms Le Couteur’s amendments—which the Canberra Liberals will be supporting, after some consideration—get to the same place; they bring it forward a little and I think that there are a couple of important provisions in Ms Le Couteur’s motion which were overlooked in mine. I am happy to support them.
It is important that this Assembly expresses its support for Megalo and the good work that Megalo does. I am aware that Megalo is coming to the end of its lease in about nine or 10 months time. Irrespective of which way we go—and if this motion went down today and the government started building tomorrow at the Fitters Workshop—the Fitters Workshop would not be ready for Megalo to occupy in June next year, because the government just cannot get it done. They are incapable of getting it done in anything like that sort of fashion.
I proposed a report back in June. Ms Le Couteur is proposing a report back in March—a shorter report. She is also making the point that, because this is a highly technical inquiry about acoustics and arts facility management, it may be necessary to get some expert support for the committee. I endorse that. It is within the purview of the Speaker and the Clerk to assist the committee in that, but it is good to have an endorsement from the Assembly to do that as well.
I think that what we will get out of this, with the collaboration between Ms Le Couteur and the Greens and the Canberra Liberals, is a good outcome for the arts community in the ACT. I have a substantial number of documents, which I have
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