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National Aboriginal Gallery Consultation

Source: Northern Territory Government.

National Aboriginal Art Gallery Consultation Report Released, Northern Territory Government, 7 September 2018

The findings of an extensive three-month consultation program with the local Alice Springs community have been released today with 88 percent of the Alice Springs community consulted saying they want the project to progress and were either supportive of the Anzac Hill Precinct site, or were site-neutral.

The Territory Labor Government is delivering on its promise to restore trust in Government, listen to the community and be open and transparent when making decisions.

Initial community feedback on the NT Government’s preferred site indicated that Alice Springs residents wanted more comprehensive engagement in relation to the project. In response, Government began a targeted three-month community engagement program with the local Alice Springs community.

To ensure engagement was comprehensive and reflective of the whole Alice Springs community, a local Alice Springs engagement team liaised with a range of Alice Springs community stakeholder groups including:

  • Aboriginal individuals and organisations
  • Impacted user groups (including rugby codes, users of the site and adjacent facilities)
  • Arts and cultural organisations and representatives
  • History and heritage interest groups
  • Business
  • General public
  • Alice Springs Town Council and technical authorities

Seven key themes arose during the consultation:

  • Aboriginal stakeholder engagement is essential in all aspects of the project
  • Green space must be preserved and enhanced for community use with Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles adopted
  • Sufficient parking must be provided for visitors to the Gallery, site user-groups, and the community in general
  • The shared history of the site must be preserved, honoured and celebrated, including its Aboriginal cultural heritage and its military heritage
  • Current users of the Anzac Oval must have their needs considered as part of the development of the site, including the relocation and development of sporting facilities at an alternate site
  • The Gallery must be an iconic building that draws the world to Alice Springs and reflects the Central Australian context and the nature of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art, culture and knowledge
  • The Gallery needs to maximise and leverage business opportunity and private sector investment, and must be a major factor in Central Business District (CBD) revitalisation.

During the three-month community engagement period, the local Alice Springs team was on the ground meeting people.

Over 750 people in Alice Springs were engaged through a range of mechanisms including face-to-face meetings and discussions. The consultation was in-depth and qualitative.

For a copy of the Consultation Report visit https://artstrail.nt.gov.au/about-arts-trail/National-Aboriginal-Art-Gallery

Quotes from the Member for Braitling, Dale Wakefield

“The Territory Labor Government will develop a world-class National Aboriginal Art Gallery in Alice Springs which will celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art from across the country, support the economic development of the town and create jobs.

“What we heard during the three month consultation was absolutely clear. The vast majority of Alice Springs residents support this project and most support the Anzac Hill Precinct site or are site-neutral and just want us to get on with the job.”

Quotes from Minister for Tourism and Culture, Lauren Moss

“We have shared the results with the Alice Springs Town Council and we are now asking that the Council make its position clear regarding use of Anzac Oval.

“We mustn’t delay any longer with plans to progress this important project for Alice Springs, especially when we are investing so heavily to Turbocharge Tourism to grow our visitor numbers and create local jobs.”

Media contact: Paige Nguyen 0428 727 244

See also: http://www.alicespringsnews.com.au/2018/09/10/government-deception-clouds-gallery-debate/