Page 1017 - Week 04 - Wednesday, 21 April 2021
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The hospital buildings are being delivered via Major Projects Canberra, aren’t they, Chief Minister? You never see Minister Stephen-Smith come here and say, “I cannot answer basic questions about what is being delivered.” The tram stage 2A is being delivered, I believe, by Major Projects Canberra. You do not see Mr Steel come in here and say that he cannot tell us what is being built or roughly when it is expected to be delivered. No-one has asked for the detailed design work or details of the contracting involved. I hope that when the minister is next asked, she will have worked these things out.
I have since found the following press article about the announcement of the centre published in the CityNews. I am pleased to be able to inform the minister about the centre. The CityNews said that as of 3 October 2020:
Labor’s offering to spend $21 million to build a new 10,000-square-metre indoor venue at EPIC in its quest for re-election this month.
Labor leader Andrew Barr says the venue would be the first, purpose-built facility in Canberra catering for large multicultural performances and private events such as weddings. It would also be available for regular EPIC users, including trade shows, business events, the farmers market, Summernats and the folk festival.
It would have a commercial kitchen and—
according to Mr Barr—
a community kitchen allowing for self-catered events.
That was the single biggest question that I was trying to clear up with the minister. The article continued:
It would accommodate (in non-pandemic times) around 1500 people for standing community events, and provide a seated option for up to 1000.
“If re-elected, ACT Labor will start the detailed design work and commence construction in the next term of government,” Mr Barr says.
It seems that the facility is intended to have self-catering facilities.
The Minister for Multicultural Affairs needs to have read the election commitments from her own party in her own portfolio areas. What an absolute disgrace.
Maybe, in the minister’s new process announced this week, she can make a special effort to listen to the various ethnic and religious groups intending to use this facility when they talk about their needs. She could keep a watching brief on how Major Projects Canberra is progressing and ask for regular updates. If the facility does not achieve all that is promised, groups will be very disappointed and have a right to be upset.
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