Northern Territory government open to subdividing State Square Art Gallery in Darwin

ABC NEWS (Australia)

The Northern Territory government will consider splitting the lease of a purpose-built art gallery currently under construction in Darwin’s CBD. Earlier this year the government admitted the building wouldn't necessarily be used as a gallery citing a 100-million-dollar construction cost blow-out.

Transcript

00:00A major territory asset taking shape, but arts sector figures still bewildered by news

00:08the intended occupant, the NT's Museum and Art Gallery or Magnet, may well be overlooked

00:14in favour of a commercial operator.

00:16To try and turn a purpose-built, purpose-designed, you know, architect-quality art gallery into

00:25some amorphous shopping centre is pure madness.

00:30Last week the government announced it would consider dividing the space between multiple

00:34tenants who would have to work out for themselves the cost of running its specialised temperature

00:39control system.

00:41The government has said it's still open to awarding the lease to Magnet, who've been

00:46gagged from speaking to the media about their bid.

00:49In a statement the government says the decision to go to tender was driven not only by a blowout

00:54and construction costs, but also because there was no budget allocated for day-to-day operations.

01:00The government should think sensibly about this and just suck it up, because this is something

01:06they need to do, this is a tourism asset of the first order.

01:11Macdonald is the former head of Australian Art at Canberra's National Gallery and says

01:16exhibiting the NT's unique and valuable collection is not possible at Magnet's current premises.

01:23There are consistently high quality works and Darwin has sold itself short for years and

01:29years by not being able to show those works and not providing a proper showcase.

01:34Just who ends up moving in should be decided by mid-next year in time for the building's completion.

01:40The fantasy says it's in life in a moment.

01:44What are you expecting and athletics says it is necessary if anything should be right away?

01:53Be loved and the fun steps Michelle Kim someone best ways in healthcare or if an income

01:56is an entire life-mayed station in school.

01:58The planning is whether it's infectious or not available for different types of services.

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