Page 4013 - Week 13 - Wednesday, 30 October 2013
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The list of attendees for the workshop was developed in consultation with the Canberra Convention Bureau and the Canberra Business Council. Representation included the ACT government, architects, the business community, convention centre operations experts, representatives from the 2010 scoping study and the city to the lake project, and key stakeholders.
At the workshop detailed testing of sites was undertaken, including exploration of a site adjacent to City Hill on the open-air, surface car parks. This process was led by renowned international conventional centre designer Larry Oltmanns. The shadow minister and I had the opportunity, together with Minister Rattenbury and members of the Convention Bureau, to have dinner with Mr Oltmanns and to have some discussions around the development of the project.
I followed up those opportunities by attending the Australia forum workshop myself and speaking to the group. The workshop considered the City Hill site in light of the Australia forum scoping study of 2010 and the city to the lake objectives within the context of the city plan. I am pleased to advise the Assembly that the workshop participants reached a consensus view on the following: that the City Hill site will accommodate the Australia forum functional brief and achieve an iconic outcome, that the flexible design concept developed to test the site will provide for significant growth in the Canberra convention market and cater for ceremonial events appropriate for the national capital, and that the Australia forum will (1) reinforce the primacy of City Hill, (2) boost the economy of the city, (3) underpin the visitor economy, (4) play an important civic role in delivering a unique cultural arc addressing City Hill and, finally, significantly contribute to the successful realisation of the city plan and the city to the lake project.
The City Hill site is agreed. It is a prestigious position relative to City Hill itself and the parliamentary triangle. It would be fair to say it is one of the best addresses in Canberra. I am pleased that we have achieved this consensus. It was a major turnaround for some of the participants of the workshop, who had previously been strongly advocating for a waterfront site at West Basin. However, through the process of the workshop it was agreed that the West Basin site would be too remote from the centre of the city.
The work that was conducted over the two days tested the design concept—a design over two main levels, four activated frontages and multiple main entrances to Vernon Circle, which surrounds City Hill, and two on London Circuit. The frontage and entrance off Vernon Circle would become a highly visible and important element of the city itself.
Although we are at the early stages of design, the initial design concept includes two large subdividable halls, totalling 16,000 square metres, with a capacity for between 3,000 and 5,000 people, depending on the form of functions; a foyer and pre-function space, totalling around 19,000 square metres; meeting rooms, totalling 4,500 square metres; a centre for dialogue, which could potentially be an exposed sphere-shaped facility; a 3,000-seat plenary area; and retail space.
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