Dr LIM - 2000-06-15
Last year the Friends of Araluen received a Commonwealth grant of $2.3m as part of the Centenary of Federation funds. Since that time a significant amount of construction work has started at Alice Springs Culture Precinct.
Could the minister please inform the House as to whether there has been any disruption to local and visitor services at the precinct and the progress to date regarding the construction?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I thank the honourable member for his question. I acknowledge his interest, along with his Alice Springs colleagues, the member for Braitling and the member for Araluen, on progress at the Araluen Centre.
I wish to take this opportunity to thank both the staff ...
Mr Stirling interjecting.
Mr ADAMSON: ... and also the arts community of Alice - well if they want to interject about thanking the staff, I suppose that is a reflection on the quality and the calibre of the opposition. If the other side don’t wish to acknowledge the perseverance of the staff and the Alice Springs arts community, I’m sure members on this side of the House do.
Both staff and the arts community have got on with their respective jobs with a minimum of fuss. However, it has meant that some of the arts projects have either been slowed or somewhat modified to accommodate the new timeframes. However, all people, and I spoke to quite a few of the arts people only about a month ago, were only too happy to be accommodating because they know the facility that will be completed before the end of this year will not only be world class but will be somewhat unique in terms of the features that it offers to the people of Central Australia. It will be a facility that builds on what was already a first class facility.
For those who are not au faux with what is happening at the Araluen Cultural Precinct, we have closed the galleries for the construction of an additional third gallery, which will enormously increase the capacity of what was already a first-class institution.
What will be happen while this is taking place, and it has already started to happen, is that the performing arts is continuing. Members may be aware of the excellent Araluen Pick and Mix Theatre season for 2000. It is an example of a program that I’ve been highlighting to other arts communities around not only the Northern Territory but Australia. It is an example of where a local arts community is not only alive and vibrant, but is extremely pro-active and diverse in the productions that they’re putting on. They are continuing.
The visual arts in this area, the 2000 gallery program, has been modified. As I have said, some things have had to be modified. However, most of the locally generated exhibitions have been accommodated with programming of a reduced schedule of travelling exhibitions.
The Art House Cinema is continuing. The regular weekly scheduling of Art House Cinema has been strengthened by five major travelling film festivals. The Sydney travelling Film Festival 2000, when held, is exceeding the attendances from last year. It is another positive sign that the people of Alice Springs are continuing to support this facility during its construction stage.
My federal counterpart, Minister McGauran, visited the site about a month or so ago. I spoke to him before his visit in the Alice, and he was extremely positive and supportive of the project taking place. I haven’t spoken to him since his visit, but I have it on good authority from those who were with him that he was extremely impressed with what was taking place. It is an example of the Territory government and the federal government working together to improve a brilliant facility in Alice Springs. It is also an example of the Northern Territory government working with the arts community of Alice Springs. We will have in the end a very special facility. I urge all honourable members, either before the construction is completed or afterwards, to take …
Member interjecting.
Mr ADAMSON: I would think we are talking about something that had bipartisan support. I do not think I have said one single thing that is controversial. I do not think I have said one thing that has had a go at the opposition, and yet the opposition apparently does not like good news - they do not want to back our backing of the people of Central Australia.
I fail to see on what grounds the opposition can interject. I am being extremely positive and in many ways offering the opposition a chance to support what we are saying.
I do thank the staff; I do thank the arts community. I thank the honourable members on this side - at least three of the four Central Australian members - who have shown an interest in this particular exercise. All going well, the schedule is well and truly on target and we are looking forward to officially opening the project probably in early December at this stage. It is still to be confirmed, but it is on schedule for completion and, as I said, I simply fail to see what the opposition can criticise in this particular project. Why they will not stand with us and congratulate the staff and the arts community of Central Australia is beyond comprehension. It is par for the course for the mob on the other side.
Could the minister please inform the House as to whether there has been any disruption to local and visitor services at the precinct and the progress to date regarding the construction?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I thank the honourable member for his question. I acknowledge his interest, along with his Alice Springs colleagues, the member for Braitling and the member for Araluen, on progress at the Araluen Centre.
I wish to take this opportunity to thank both the staff ...
Mr Stirling interjecting.
Mr ADAMSON: ... and also the arts community of Alice - well if they want to interject about thanking the staff, I suppose that is a reflection on the quality and the calibre of the opposition. If the other side don’t wish to acknowledge the perseverance of the staff and the Alice Springs arts community, I’m sure members on this side of the House do.
Both staff and the arts community have got on with their respective jobs with a minimum of fuss. However, it has meant that some of the arts projects have either been slowed or somewhat modified to accommodate the new timeframes. However, all people, and I spoke to quite a few of the arts people only about a month ago, were only too happy to be accommodating because they know the facility that will be completed before the end of this year will not only be world class but will be somewhat unique in terms of the features that it offers to the people of Central Australia. It will be a facility that builds on what was already a first class facility.
For those who are not au faux with what is happening at the Araluen Cultural Precinct, we have closed the galleries for the construction of an additional third gallery, which will enormously increase the capacity of what was already a first-class institution.
What will be happen while this is taking place, and it has already started to happen, is that the performing arts is continuing. Members may be aware of the excellent Araluen Pick and Mix Theatre season for 2000. It is an example of a program that I’ve been highlighting to other arts communities around not only the Northern Territory but Australia. It is an example of where a local arts community is not only alive and vibrant, but is extremely pro-active and diverse in the productions that they’re putting on. They are continuing.
The visual arts in this area, the 2000 gallery program, has been modified. As I have said, some things have had to be modified. However, most of the locally generated exhibitions have been accommodated with programming of a reduced schedule of travelling exhibitions.
The Art House Cinema is continuing. The regular weekly scheduling of Art House Cinema has been strengthened by five major travelling film festivals. The Sydney travelling Film Festival 2000, when held, is exceeding the attendances from last year. It is another positive sign that the people of Alice Springs are continuing to support this facility during its construction stage.
My federal counterpart, Minister McGauran, visited the site about a month or so ago. I spoke to him before his visit in the Alice, and he was extremely positive and supportive of the project taking place. I haven’t spoken to him since his visit, but I have it on good authority from those who were with him that he was extremely impressed with what was taking place. It is an example of the Territory government and the federal government working together to improve a brilliant facility in Alice Springs. It is also an example of the Northern Territory government working with the arts community of Alice Springs. We will have in the end a very special facility. I urge all honourable members, either before the construction is completed or afterwards, to take …
Member interjecting.
Mr ADAMSON: I would think we are talking about something that had bipartisan support. I do not think I have said one single thing that is controversial. I do not think I have said one thing that has had a go at the opposition, and yet the opposition apparently does not like good news - they do not want to back our backing of the people of Central Australia.
I fail to see on what grounds the opposition can interject. I am being extremely positive and in many ways offering the opposition a chance to support what we are saying.
I do thank the staff; I do thank the arts community. I thank the honourable members on this side - at least three of the four Central Australian members - who have shown an interest in this particular exercise. All going well, the schedule is well and truly on target and we are looking forward to officially opening the project probably in early December at this stage. It is still to be confirmed, but it is on schedule for completion and, as I said, I simply fail to see what the opposition can criticise in this particular project. Why they will not stand with us and congratulate the staff and the arts community of Central Australia is beyond comprehension. It is par for the course for the mob on the other side.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016