Page 3235 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 21 August 2019
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requirements as a venue, it makes sense for the consideration of a multicultural events venue to be considered in this review.
It is important that work is undertaken to determine the suitability of EPIC as a site and the broader requirements that would need to be met with any new venue being established. With any new social infrastructure project, the government must undertake a proper study of such a proposal, which is why we are calling for the feasibility study to be undertaken now through the review of EPIC.
It is my view that a new, large-scale venue at EPIC would be easily accessible for Gungahlin residents and would also allow for these events to be attended by the wider community. Since speaking with the community and listening to their feedback, this would be the most appropriate for their needs now and into the future. I will be advocating for EPIC to be home to the new venue, and I look forward to working with my government colleagues to ensure that our multicultural community is provided with the necessary support to flourish.
I value the incredible contribution that the Gungahlin multicultural community makes to the life of our region. We are better as a region and a city overall, thanks to their involvement in our community. I look forward to the government undertaking this review and hope to see a new venue delivered at EPIC for all of our multicultural community. I commend the motion to the Assembly.
MR STEEL (Murrumbidgee—Minister for Community Services and Facilities, Minister for Multicultural Affairs and Minister for Transport and City Services) (11.22): As Minister for Multicultural Affairs, I am very pleased to speak in support of this motion. I thank Mr Gupta and Ms Orr for bringing this forward to the Assembly today. The ACT government is committed to maintaining Canberra’s standing as a welcoming, inclusive and cohesive city where diversity is celebrated. As we outlined in the ACT multicultural framework second action plan, our city celebrates diversity and encourages participation and contribution from all Canberrans to ensure that we continue to grow as an inclusive and welcoming place to be.
We understand how important it is for groups in the community from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds to access facilities and spaces where they can engage in performance, host events and share their culture with the wider community. As the minister, I have the privilege of attending so many of these events throughout the community, and they are events that make a real contribution to making Canberra a thriving city and supporting our multicultural communities.
There are, of course, already many places across Canberra that provide support for our multicultural communities, including through the 156 facilities managed by ACT Property Group that are made available for use by community and multicultural groups. I will give a couple of examples. The Chifley community hub is home to a Buddhist centre. The Chinese Australian Early Childhood Centre is provided space in Mawson and hosts the Association for Learning Mandarin in Australia. For events, the Theo Notaras Multicultural Centre, established by the ACT government in 2005, provides fantastic facilities to support Canberra’s culturally and linguistically diverse communities to meet and engage in performance, and it is a very popular venue.
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