Page 2997 - Week 07 - Thursday, 30 June 2011
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The advice to the government at this stage is that the Albert Hall, which we believe is currently underutilised, would be one of the next best venues. Obviously there are some places at the School of Music, as I understand it, that have been refurbished as well, with improvements made to the acoustic qualities of those rooms.
What I said on the radio is true. The challenge for us now is to try and say that Megalo are going into the Fitters Workshop. That decision was taken a number of years ago, or two years ago, through the budget announcements. We have been working along that decision line. And, yes, there is a small group that are upset about that. Now let us see if we can meet the needs of that community and provide them with an alternative space.
MR SPEAKER: Supplementary, Ms Le Couteur?
MS LE COUTEUR: Chief Minister, what is the government doing to provide appropriate and affordable music venues for the broad range of Canberra musicians whose needs fall outside the existing venues?
Mr Smyth: Nothing.
MS GALLAGHER: Mr Smyth answered that question as well. We have got the experts on the other side. As I said, we are working, and Ms Burch is working as the Minister for the Arts, to try and deliver an outcome where, if we cannot make everyone a hundred per cent happy, we make as many people as we can happy. If there are further improvements that need to be done to the Albert Hall to bring that hall back to the kind of space and the utilisation rates that we are aware were around when I was young—that space was used constantly for musical performances. I certainly used to play music there all the time. If we could get it back to its heyday like that, that would be a fantastic outcome. I understand that there is some concern around the velvet curtains and the impact that that has on the acoustic quality of the building. That is something that Minister Burch is examining closely, and whether or not those velvet curtains are required as part of the heritage importance of that space.
MR SPEAKER: A supplementary question, Mrs Dunne?
MRS DUNNE: Minister, what impact have liquor licensing changes had on access to live music venues in the commercial space?
MS GALLAGHER: That is not a matter that I am across, Mrs Dunne. I have not received any representations myself about that matter, but I imagine that the responsible minister for the liquor laws may have and I am sure that he is happy to answer the question.
MR SPEAKER: Attorney.
MR CORBELL: I thank the Chief Minister. Contrary to claims made by the Liberal Party, the number of licensed venues in the ACT has actually gone up, not down, since the new liquor licensing laws were introduced. We had the claims from those
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