Petition calling for federal help shifting planned Anzac Oval art gallery south of Alice Springs handballed
Calls to cut federal funding to a proposed Red Centre art gallery have been handballed between federal politicians – ending back in the hands of the NT government, that wants to ‘get the damn thing built’.
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Federal politicians have handballed calls from a growing petition to cut funding to the development of a controversial art gallery back to the Northern Territory government – which just wants to “get the damn thing built”.
Despite Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro halting works on Anzac Oval – the proposed site for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Gallery in Alice Springs – a petition is now calling on the Prime Minister to intervene and relocate the gallery to a “culturally appropriate site, in accordance with custodian leadership”.
The petition was organised by Central Arrernte Traditional Custodian and “South of the Gap” group member Faron Peckham, whose group has long advocated for the gallery to be built south of Heavitree Gap in the Desert Knowledge precinct.
At the time of writing, there were 670 signatories to the petition.
The petition calls for all federal funding for the project to be suspended until a “a culturally appropriate site is selected, in consultation with the traditional custodians”.
It also calls for “meaningful consultation with the Arrernte custodians and the broader Indigenous community to align the project with the principles of cultural preservation”.
The petition called on five federal members for help: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese; Arts minister Tony Burke; Indigenous Australians minister Malarndirri McCarthy; Environment minister Tanya Plibersek; and Lingiari MP Marion Scrymgour.
A spokesperson for Ms McCarthy called the project “a matter for the Northern Territory government” but also directed this masthead to Mr Burke’s office.
“The location of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Gallery is a matter for the Northern Territory Government,” the spokesperson said.
“The halting of demolition works is a matter for the Northern Territory Government.
“The Federal Government is providing $80 million for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Gallery in Alice Springs to establish a world-leading facility.”
The Environment Minister’s office also directed this masthead to Mr Burke’s office.
The Prime Minister, Mr Burke, and Ms Scrymgour did not respond to queries by deadline.
Speaking on 8CCC community radio in Alice Springs on Thursday, NT Logistics and Infrastructure minister Bill Yan said he wanted to “get the damn thing built”.
Mr Yan said the gallery would be redesigned, and in his view “consultation has been done previously”, with no plans “to disturb anything else”.
He said the Anzac Oval goal posts and scoreboard from Jim McConville Oval would return to the ground.
Responding to questions about when this would happen, Mr Yan said “we want Centralians back out on that oval playing sport as soon as possible”.
“We look forward to the score board and goal posts standing proudly back on the oval along with upgrades to the grass and grandstand,” he said
“The CLP will do the gallery right, and look forward to revealing the new position on that site as we work to redesign an iconic project of social and economic importance to Alice Springs.”
A NT Government spokesperson said the total budget for the project was $149m, with $7.175m spent on architects.
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