Page 4092 - Week 14 - Thursday, 25 October 1990
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .
gallery and museum, and heritage space. If the Playhouse is to be demolished as part of the casino project, obviously its replacement must take first priority. Members will note that we do not recommend a major new theatre complex. That, perhaps, will be a point that needs some elaboration. Members may recall that over the last few years quite a wish list has developed about what should go on that site. At various times - and I think the library was the first to receive a mention - there have been comments from members of parliament that if the casino project were to go ahead we would get facilities of the nature of a library or gallery or a new three-theatre complex and a new Civic Square.
As I checked the documents as part of my membership on the casino inquiry, it was clear that no promises were ever given. The politicians at the time were politically careful and there was no promise of anything; more an example of what might be provided from the premium from the casino - a wish list. In total, that added up to something over $100m. In the end the committee decided to take no note of what had been proposed beforehand and to take no particular account of the casino project and what income might be generated for capital expenditure from that.
We decided to report - and that is why we are reporting ahead of any report from the special projects group - firstly, on the basis of what Canberra needs and, secondly, on what Canberra would utilise. That is very much the basis of our report. We have not gone for any proposal for some massive edifice or some monument over there that may be infrequently used. So, we have decided that there will be no major theatre complex.
There have been three reports in recent years - and this report indicates which they are - elaborating on the need for a theatre complex. The most recent of those, the Murray Edmonds report, was required to comment on the need for theatre spaces. We have rejected the findings of that report. We believe it is not realistic and it is certainly over-optimistic. We have laboured long and hard for such an important decision as this, a decision that rejects what has been an expectation held by many in the community. I think it justifiably demonstrates why we have taken a long time to make this decision. We have considered this most carefully, and I believe we are making the correct decision.
Mr Speaker, we have a good theatre facility over the road now. Twenty-five years ago it was the first and the best in the ACT. It is still a good theatre complex, though it is rather dated. Figures taken indicate that attendances at that theatre have been falling for many years. That is certainly no fault of the Canberra Theatre Trust or of the theatre management. It derives from other sources, which are three in number. Firstly, there is competition from venues completed in recent years, venues such as Llewellyn Hall, Bruce Stadium and the Theatre Royal. While these are
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . .