Page 1425 - Week 05 - Wednesday, 14 May 2014
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It is a major part of the city to the lake project. The territory government has committed to bringing the project to investment-ready status as part of the parliamentary agreement. As Mr Smyth has begrudgingly admitted this morning, the ACT government has provided cash funding to support the undertaking of the initial scoping study. Since the time of the scoping study being released in 2011, the government has progressed the Australia forum project. It has set aside a very valuable site overlooking City Hill for the project.
The government has undertaken an extensive and detailed conversation with industry experts and key stakeholders, including the Convention Bureau, the Business Council and the Property Council. In September last year a workshop was held led by renowned international convention centre designer Larry Oltmanns. We were even generous enough to invite you to a dinner, Mr Smyth, in an attempt to find some bipartisan support on this issue and to make further significant advancements on the project, including confirming the City Hill site.
Through that workshop funded by the ACT government a consensus view across the stakeholders was reached that the City Hill site would accommodate the Australia forum functional brief and also achieve the iconic outcome that many are seeking. The flexible design concept was developed to test the site to provide for future growth in the Canberra convention market and to be able to cater for ceremonial events appropriate for the national capital.
Siting the convention centre in this area reinforces the primacy of City Hill health; it boosts the economy of the city; it underpins our visitor economy; it plays an important civic role in delivering a unique cultural arc that addresses City Hill; and it significantly contributes to the realisation of the city plan and the city to the lake project. The concept that was tested at the workshop had a substantially greater convention exhibition meeting and banqueting capacity than we currently have at the National Convention Centre.
The concept proposes a stacked design over two main levels, four activated frontages, multiple entrances to Vernon Circle and two to London Circuit. The frontage and entrance off Vernon Circle would become highly visible and an important element of the city itself. The flexible design concept includes two large subdivisible halls totalling 16,000 square metres with the capacity of between 3,000 and 5,000 people, depending on the form of particular events; a foyer and pre-function space totalling 19,000 square metres; meeting rooms totalling 4,500 square metres; a centre for dialogue; a plenary section with 3,000 seats; and a range of other retail and commercial opportunities.
In February of this year the Chief Minister wrote again to the Prime Minister reiterating that the Australia forum was the number one private sector infrastructure priority in Canberra and sought assistance and support for progressing the project. The letter outlined the significance of the Australia forum to the economic development of the territory and indicated that an $8 million contribution from the commonwealth towards the development and comprehensive business case for the proposal would be appropriate.
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