Page 255 - Week 01 - Thursday, 14 February 2019
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and the land sales stage 5 was released to the market in October 2015 in accordance with the indicative land release program for that year.
The site was released as a single parcel of land with a unique opportunity to put forward an innovative design response that celebrates the history of the site. The development will deliver new arts facilities, an outdoor space, public areas, commercial spaces, residential dwellings and over 500 public car parks.
In February 2017 Geocon Group Pty Ltd was announced as the preferred tenderer but the preferred tenderer does not mean that the developer has won the tender or that information can be publicly released, due to the remaining interests of the other participating tenderer. Successful negotiation of the obligations between the preferred tenderer and the territory will result in an execution of all contracts, assuming that it goes ahead, which would then give the developer rights to develop the land in accordance with the tender submission and commence community engagement and the statutory approval process.
Since the announcement of the preferred tenderer in February 2017 the Suburban Land Agency was created and continued the post-tender process from 1 July 2017. The SLA and artsACT during 2018 undertook further review of the likely capital and operational costs for the future territory assets in order to progress the realisation of the Kingston arts precinct. Negotiations with the preferred tenderer commenced in October 2018. After cabinet considered the recommendations from the SLA both Geocon and SLA and artsACT are currently working in good faith to finalise the necessary obligations by the end of March 2019.
In December 2018 all participating arts organisations were provided with an opportunity to meet with the design team and see the elements of the tender (Time expired.)
MR PARTON: Minister, can you give further explanation as to why the project has stalled?
MS STEPHEN-SMITH: I would not agree with the premise of the question that the project has stalled. But I would say that the creation of the Suburban Land Agency and the City Renewal Authority, arising from the land development agency being abolished, did result in a re-examination of this process. The Suburban Land Agency board, quite rightly, wanted to apprise itself of the current arrangements at that time and have a good look at the process that was underway.
As I was saying, after the cabinet consideration, negotiations commenced in October 2018 and in December all participating arts organisations were provided with an opportunity to meet Geocon’s design team, Fender Katsalidis and Oculus, and see elements of the tender submissions and the design team’s vision for the project.
Design information that was provided to arts organisations at that time does remain the intellectual property of Geocon’s design team and forms part of their commercial offer provided to the territory in response to the tender requirements. For those
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