❓ Question regarding the Cook Labor government's $55 million investment in the Perth Cultural Centre, focusing on job creation and creating a welcoming space. The Minister responds by outlining the project's goals of enhancing the precinct, improving safety and accessibility, and stimulating local businesses.
AnsweredQoN 635Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
PERTH CULTURAL CENTRE — INFRASTRUCTURE
PROJECTS
635. Ms C.M. TONKIN to the Minister for Culture and the Arts:
I missed a call earlier because I was listening to the
Premier's great answer about our investment in a wonderful healthcare system.
I refer to the Cook Labor
government's commitment to investing in community job-creating
infrastructure projects.
(1) Can the
minister outline to the house how this government's $55 million
development in the Perth cultural centre will create a more welcoming space for
people visiting Perth's arts and culture precinct?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house how this project will create new local jobs and
provide opportunities for small businesses nearby?
PROJECTS
635. Ms C.M. TONKIN to the Minister for Culture and the Arts:
I missed a call earlier because I was listening to the
Premier's great answer about our investment in a wonderful healthcare system.
I refer to the Cook Labor
government's commitment to investing in community job-creating
infrastructure projects.
(1) Can the
minister outline to the house how this government's $55 million
development in the Perth cultural centre will create a more welcoming space for
people visiting Perth's arts and culture precinct?
(2) Can the
minister advise the house how this project will create new local jobs and
provide opportunities for small businesses nearby?
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(2)
I thank the member for Churchlands. As the member is aware, the state
government is transforming Perth and leading the way in the renewal of Perth.
This project, which of course focuses on the Perth Cultural Centre Precinct, is one of our keynote development
initiatives. As the member is aware, the Perth cultural centre comprises
most of our key cultural institutions, being the State Library, Boola Bardip,
the Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts,
the Art Gallery of Western Australia and, of course, the State Theatre on
Roe Street.
That area is becoming even more
important for those who work in the city, live in the city and visit the city.
We envisage, through this massive investment, ensuring that those people,
whether they are residents who live in the city precinct or whether they work
within those various areas of the precinct or indeed whether they are the many
thousands of tourists and visitors to our state who come to that place, get an exceptional experience. That is why this $45
million investment, which includes a $10 million commitment by the federal government, is committed to
transform it, to make the cultural institutions there have greater synergy, to make it safer and to make it a much more pleasant area to visit.
The components in the announcement last week include a much more inviting
landscape and more enhanced shade spaces and greenery.
People like to go to cool, green spaces, particularly during the summer months.
We wanted Perth to be far more accessible. There will be a new live
video screen so we will be able to make that the centre of attention for lots
of major events, particularly international events that are being showcased on
a screen so that people can come together. We saw some of that in some of the
activations that the Minister for Tourism was responsible for when we had some
of our major events earlier this year and last year.
There will be opportunities for
pop-up food and beverage outlets because we want to continue to generate that
as a space where people can access food and beverage and enjoy the ambience of
what has been created. We will also vastly improve the safety aspects of
lighting. These are all the ingredients to make it a place that is attractive throughout the day and into the evening
and will ensure that more and more people will have greater opportunity
to access those cultural institutions that are located within the precinct. It
also means that more people will be employed during the construction phase.
That will ensure that jobs are created during the construction and rejuvenation
phase. That extra stimulation that will be created for businesses in the
surrounds will be enhanced as well. When kids are visiting in school groups
during the day, we want to give them a safe and enjoyable ambient experience in
which they can have their lunch in those new spaces while they are visiting the
museum, the State Library or the Art Gallery of Western Australia. Or, for
interstate visitors, it will be a place where they will gravitate to experience
what the wonderful cultural institutions have to offer for the state.
The
state government is, as I said, leading the renewal of Perth. We have a great
program. We have renewal of work on the Perth Concert Hall, the ongoing
development of the Aboriginal cultural centre, and we have seen the enhancement
of His Majesty's Theatre that has brought the balconies back, which,
again, brought new life into that magnificent heritage theatre. It is a great
program going forward. I thank the Treasurer for the ongoing support in those
endeavours. This is great money spent because it is about the future and it is
about making sure that whenever you visit Perth—if you are visiting
from Mandurah on your cheap two-zone capped fare, and we know Mandurah people
were the highest attendees —
Ms R. Saffioti : That is what you can do when you
retire.
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : I can. I will be on the train,
rolling along and checking out the work. But whatever happens and wherever
people might come from, it will be a really great centre of attention. People
will gravitate there. That will be great for the state and the economy, and it
will enhance the status of our cultural institutions within that precinct. I thank
the member for Churchlands for the question. It was a marvellous question.
I thank the member for Churchlands. As the member is aware, the state
government is transforming Perth and leading the way in the renewal of Perth.
This project, which of course focuses on the Perth Cultural Centre Precinct, is one of our keynote development
initiatives. As the member is aware, the Perth cultural centre comprises
most of our key cultural institutions, being the State Library, Boola Bardip,
the Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts,
the Art Gallery of Western Australia and, of course, the State Theatre on
Roe Street.
That area is becoming even more
important for those who work in the city, live in the city and visit the city.
We envisage, through this massive investment, ensuring that those people,
whether they are residents who live in the city precinct or whether they work
within those various areas of the precinct or indeed whether they are the many
thousands of tourists and visitors to our state who come to that place, get an exceptional experience. That is why this $45
million investment, which includes a $10 million commitment by the federal government, is committed to
transform it, to make the cultural institutions there have greater synergy, to make it safer and to make it a much more pleasant area to visit.
The components in the announcement last week include a much more inviting
landscape and more enhanced shade spaces and greenery.
People like to go to cool, green spaces, particularly during the summer months.
We wanted Perth to be far more accessible. There will be a new live
video screen so we will be able to make that the centre of attention for lots
of major events, particularly international events that are being showcased on
a screen so that people can come together. We saw some of that in some of the
activations that the Minister for Tourism was responsible for when we had some
of our major events earlier this year and last year.
There will be opportunities for
pop-up food and beverage outlets because we want to continue to generate that
as a space where people can access food and beverage and enjoy the ambience of
what has been created. We will also vastly improve the safety aspects of
lighting. These are all the ingredients to make it a place that is attractive throughout the day and into the evening
and will ensure that more and more people will have greater opportunity
to access those cultural institutions that are located within the precinct. It
also means that more people will be employed during the construction phase.
That will ensure that jobs are created during the construction and rejuvenation
phase. That extra stimulation that will be created for businesses in the
surrounds will be enhanced as well. When kids are visiting in school groups
during the day, we want to give them a safe and enjoyable ambient experience in
which they can have their lunch in those new spaces while they are visiting the
museum, the State Library or the Art Gallery of Western Australia. Or, for
interstate visitors, it will be a place where they will gravitate to experience
what the wonderful cultural institutions have to offer for the state.
The
state government is, as I said, leading the renewal of Perth. We have a great
program. We have renewal of work on the Perth Concert Hall, the ongoing
development of the Aboriginal cultural centre, and we have seen the enhancement
of His Majesty's Theatre that has brought the balconies back, which,
again, brought new life into that magnificent heritage theatre. It is a great
program going forward. I thank the Treasurer for the ongoing support in those
endeavours. This is great money spent because it is about the future and it is
about making sure that whenever you visit Perth—if you are visiting
from Mandurah on your cheap two-zone capped fare, and we know Mandurah people
were the highest attendees —
Ms R. Saffioti : That is what you can do when you
retire.
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : I can. I will be on the train,
rolling along and checking out the work. But whatever happens and wherever
people might come from, it will be a really great centre of attention. People
will gravitate there. That will be great for the state and the economy, and it
will enhance the status of our cultural institutions within that precinct. I thank
the member for Churchlands for the question. It was a marvellous question.
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