Premier concerned no one will visit long-awaited arts centre
The Premier revealed he’s worried people might not visit a long-awaited cultural hub costing taxpayers thousands to maintain, but the project is still on the table.
About $100,000 has been spent this year to maintain the vacant land set aside for the Tarrkarri First Nations art and cultural centre, Premier Peter Malinauskas said, but uncertainty remains about whether the project would be a tourism drawcard.
The taxpayer funds were for “maintenance, inspections and the like” for the dormant land at Lot 14, the Premier said in yesterday’s budget estimates – the state government continuing to allocate $57 million for Tarrkarri.
Malinauskas said, after appointing reviewers for the project back in 2022, the government was concerned about whether the project would bring in enough visitors.
“What I have been worried about, and what the reviewers were charged with examining, is whether or not people would come and go to it,” Malinauskas said.
“If we spend a heap of money on a project such as Tarrkarri, are people actually going to get on a plane and come and see it…That was not clear.
“They would only if it is done to an exceptional standard. The problem with that is cost.”
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Shadow Arts Minister Heidi Girolamo said today that Tarrkarri was “clearly not a priority for Labor”.
“Under Labor this prime real estate has become an embarrassing dustbowl, one that is costing taxpayers $102,000 a year to maintain.
“The Premier needs to share his plan to ensure this key site becomes a drawcard for the state, not an eyesore.”
Malinauskas told yesterday’s estimates committee that the government was still giving the project a chance by canvassing private philanthropists, corporate philanthropy and more federal government dollars.
“There is a chance that we get this up, but there is also a chance that we do not,” Malinauskas said.
“Clearly, at some point, the government will have to make a decision about whether or not we go with it or not.
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“That time cannot be too far away, but we do want to give it its best shot.”
Malinauskas said he could not be specific about the dollar figure needed, “because I do not want to deter people who have already expressed an interest in making a contribution for the project”.
A pot of money for “development of an innovation and cultural precinct in the city centre” – including the Tarrkarri project – was in the federal government’s budget last month.
But it was understood the quarantined cash was not enough to make the long-awaited centre a reality after Premier Peter Malinauskas halted work on the new gallery for an “urgent” review into its $200m cost in October 2022.
Another state arts media hub on Franklin Street landed $49.3 million in this year’s budget, as promised by the government ahead of the election.
The project would draw the State Opera, State Theatre, Country Arts SA and the ABC under one roof – the dollars projected to be spent in FY2029–30.
Arts Minister Kyam Maher clarified to the estimates committee that the government’s almost $50 million spend would go towards the State Theatre, State Opera and Country Arts SA’s share of the building and the fit-out.
After $48.9 million is spent on up-front leases and building works, there would be $390,000 in funding per year for outgoing and interest over a 30-year lease term.
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