David Crisafulli under pressure to build ‘world-class’ Indigenous cultural centre in Queensland
Tourism and business leaders in Brisbane have joined a push for a world-class Indigenous cultural centre to be built after a refusal by the new Crisafulli government to guarantee funding.
Tourism and business leaders in Brisbane have joined a push for a world-class Indigenous cultural centre to be built in time for the 2032 Olympics after decades of stalled planning and the refusal of the new Crisafulli government to guarantee funding.
Promised for more than 20 years by successive state governments, the centre would showcase art and history of the world’s oldest living culture and provide training and jobs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Sources have told The Australian that a $3m detailed business case – announced in March 2022 – was effectively finalised before the October state election and was ready to be taken to cabinet for sign-off but was delayed by the previous Miles Labor government to seek more federal funding.
It was understood the business case costed the project under $300m and recommended two potential sites, at the piazza in the heart of the Southbank parklands or at South Brisbane’s Kurilpa Park, a traditional meeting place for Aboriginal peoples of Brisbane.
Arts Minister John Paul Langbroek would not be drawn on whether the new Liberal National Party government was committed to building the Brisbane centre, or a second site proposed for Cairns, when approached.
“The detailed business cases for First Nations Arts and Cultural Centres in Brisbane and Cairns are due to be completed in early 2025 and we will consider the findings upon its completion,” he said in a statement.
Cameron Costello, deputy chair of the Brisbane 2032 Legacy Committee and head of the state’s First Nations Tourism Council, said the cultural centre could be “uniting” for Queensland after the failed voice referendum and axing of the treaty and truth-telling inquiry. “I think it would be a wonderful gesture from the government that’s based on good economic outcomes for, not only First Nations people but the tourism sector in general,” he said.
“The cultural centre could have exhibitions and performances and there could be retail elements to it; art galleries and restaurants. The real legacy will be that schools will be able to come and young people and students will be able to engage with First Nations experiences in culture and history.”
Professor of practice at the Griffith Institute for Tourism Daniel Gschwind said Premier David Crisafulli and Tourism Minister Andrew Powell had spoken at events in recent weeks and “highlighted very strongly opportunities of a more visible First Nations tourism offering”.
“This is one opportunity that is important for us to embrace,” said Mr Gschwind, who is also chair of Trade and Investment Queensland.
With an anticipated arrival of millions of new tourists for the 2032 Games, Mr Gschwind said he had “no doubt at all” that there would be strong appetite for Indigenous cultural experiences.
“I think there is a genuine interest from visitors to learn more about our history and our cultural background as a nation,” he said.
“I think for something like that to be successful, it has to be very centrally located, it has to be visible and I think Southbank would be a pretty amazing place. And it has to be forward looking as well, it has to be contemporary not just historic.”
Debate about a First Nations cultural centre in Brisbane has raged since 1998 when Brisbane City Council allocated a section of Musgrave Park as a site. In 1999, former Labor premier Peter Beattie allocated $5m towards early planning for a centre but it never progressed after cost blowouts and a land title dispute. The Palaszczuk government began scoping an “iconic centre” again in 2018 and the 2022 Southeast Queensland city deal, between all three levels of government, allocated $3m for a detailed business case.
As a “big supporter” of an Indigenous cultural centre, Brisbane’s LNP lord mayor Adrian Schrinner in 2020 earmarked $1m in funding for the project and lamented that “the time to do this was 10 years ago; we are really behind the times now”.
In a statement this week, a spokeswoman for Mr Schrinner said tlord mayor looked “forward to seeing what the business case has to say”.
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