Page 3244 - Week 09 - Wednesday, 21 August 2019
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on. I think it is an important conversation that needs to be had, because EPIC’s future will be to host more events more often. The work that the government is undertaking at the moment would see a significant expansion in both the number and variety of events that will be held in that precinct.
EPIC currently has the facilities to cater for large functions of around 1,500 attendees in its largest building. However, some elements of EPIC’s infrastructure are clearly ageing, and the government will be investing new resources in the coming years to improve the quality of the venue.
We also need to take into account the new ways to access the venue. A very practical thing will be EPIC’s reorientation towards Flemington Road as a major access point for the facility, given the light rail stop in that location and the fact that it also presents an opportunity to renew facilities within the broader EPIC precinct.
The principal issue that needs to be addressed to meet the identified needs that Mr Gupta and Ms Orr have identified is around self-catering kitchen facilities; also, clearly, there is what would be a degree of tension between commercial and community hiring demands. There is no doubt that EPIC continues to attract many large-scale commercial activities. In recent times it has become the home for large-scale music festivals, Groovin the Moo, for example, having moved from the University of Canberra to Exhibition Park.
It will continue to be our pre-eminent large-format event space. So it is timely, through this motion, to look at those opportunities to accommodate future major multicultural events within the bounds of the EPIC precinct.
We are very happy to support this motion today. We will continue the work that is well advanced in relation to EPIC’s future needs. I look forward to being able to make some significant announcements on large-scale investments in Exhibition Park to enhance its event capability in the coming 12 months.
MR COE (Yerrabi—Leader of the Opposition) (11.54): I rise to reiterate the comments made by Mrs Kikkert with regard to this motion and also to reiterate the need for EPIC to offer affordable services.
We talk about EPIC as if it is a wholly separate entity. It is owned by the government and it is run by the government. So every time we hear about EPIC being too expensive, EPIC gouging someone or EPIC driving someone out, we can substitute for “EPIC” “the ACT Labor government”, because they are responsible. The ACT Labor government were responsible for not negotiating good terms with the Harmonie German Club and the German community when it comes to Oktoberfest. EPIC is responsible, the ACT government are responsible, when we talk about the prohibitively expensive cost of doing business out at EPIC for our community groups.
While we, of course, welcome the idea that we will have facilities that will be more accessible and more affordable, we hope that it actually happens, rather than having just another commitment that the government has no intention of honouring.
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