PERTH CULTURAL CENTRE PRECINCT
354. Ms J.J. SHAW to the Minister for Culture and the Arts:
I refer to the McGowan Labor
government's investment in revitalising and rejuvenating the Perth
Cultural Centre. Can the minister update the house on how this investment will
increase the vibrancy of the city, improve safety and deliver more activation?
Mr D.A.
TEMPLEMAN replied:
I thank the member for Swan Hills.
It is a very important question.
As
members would be aware, the Perth Cultural Centre Precinct is the beating heart
of our cultural life in Perth. The precinct contains our significant monuments
and cultural institutions such as the State Library of Western Australia, the Western
Australian Museum Boola Bardip, the State Theatre Centre of WA, the Art Gallery
of Western Australia and the Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts. It is a very
important centre for Perth. For the cultural centre to deliver the cultural
aspirations of Western Australians, it needs to be upgraded and revitalised. I want
to thank the members for Swan Hills and Perth, who both chaired the Perth
Cultural Precinct Taskforce that was established to create the plan to oversee
the transformation of the Perth Cultural Centre. I thank them both for that. As
my parliamentary secretary last year, I very much appreciated the member for
Swan Hills' stewardship in completing the strategy.
I was very pleased that this project
initially attracted $10 million each from the federal government and the state
government as part of the Perth City Deal, securing a total of $20 million. As
the member for Swan Hills is aware, in the 2022–23 budget that was
recently announced by the Treasurer; Premier, the securing of an additional $15
million means that for $35 million we will transform the Perth Cultural Centre.
I know that the member worked hard with a number of stakeholders on that task
force to develop the plan and that she essentially advocated strongly for the
total build.
I want to paint a picture for
members. Artworks will be commissioned for the northern and western side of the
main gallery that will transform the visitor passage entry to the gallery. A
new, shady central space will be developed, which will look quite spectacular.
The central aspect of the cultural precinct will be a centre of activity for
people entering the cultural precinct. It will include a new focal point and
the creation of a new children's play space. That means that children
will again be front and centre of attraction to the cultural precinct. The
interesting amphitheatre will be the demolished and a more accessible greater
streetscape will be developed. People who know the history of James Street know
of the historical photographs. James Street was a street at that point at one
stage, but was changed. The amphitheatre will go. At the eastern end of the
cultural centre the Art Gallery of WA car park will be demolished and a better
connection from Beaufort Street will be introduced. Enhanced lighting, security
wayfinding and the opening up of underused spaces will create a better
environment for families and visitors. We
want the Perth Cultural Centre to be a beacon and the beating heart of the
Perth city centre that emanates to Yagan Square in nearby Northbridge
and beyond.
This
is a great opportunity to transform and enhance the cultural precinct and
underpin the importance of our cultural institutions to Western Australian
life and to our heritage. This is being done in very close consultation with
the First Nations people, the Whadjuk Noongar people, through reference groups
and direct consultation, because that place was a very special place,
particularly for Indigenous women.
Point of Order
Mr R.S. LOVE: This is a very lengthy answer. We have some
other important questions that we would like to ask.
Several members interjected.
The DEPUTY
SPEAKER: Order, members! Order, member for Swan Hills and minister!
Minister, just wait two seconds. There is no point of order. The minister is
getting to his concluding remarks, I am sure.
Questions without Notice Resumed
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN: I will
conclude my remarks, but it is disappointing that the member for Moore does not
understand the importance of our cultural
institutions or culture and arts to the lifeblood of Western Australia. It is
sad that he does not support that. I pity him and think perhaps that the member
for Swan Hills' description is not far off the mark.
We are proud that this government
delivered not only Boola Bardip—the new Museum for Western Australia—enhanced
the rooftop of the Art Gallery of Western Australia and completely revamped its
interior, but also we believe in and value
the importance of culture and arts infrastructure, activity and projects to the
life of Western Australia throughout Western Australia, be it in
regional WA or in the Perth metropolitan area. We are proud of this project, unlike the member for Moore, and we will continue
to highlight why there is a vast cultural difference, among other
things, between members on this side of the house and those on the other side.