The Minister for the Arts, Bob McMullan, is confident that the Government pre-election promise on the National Museum would be met, despite specualtion that it will come under fire at the Expenditure Review Committee.
On February 28, the Government promised $26 million towards the $65 million Stage 1 of the museum on the Yarramundi Reach site. A further $13 million in infrastructure (roads sewerage, water electricity) was to come from the ACT and the private sector was to provide $26 million.
A spokesperson for Senator McMullan said the promise was looking strong, but “”the Minister cannot make any formal announcement in the pre-Budget context”.
Asked whether the private sector had come up with its portion, the spokesperson said, “”They have not been formally approached”.
Canberra private-sector sources said the private sector had come up with virtually nothing.
This leaves open the possibility that the economics departments will urge the Expenditure Review Committee to withdraw the promise and perhaps suggest that the museum merely be a collection repository of matters of Australian culture and not a major Canberra building.
The museum has a huge collection in Mitchell which only a few members of the public get to see because the building cannot cope with large numbers of visitors, and was not designed to.
Mr Keating made the announcement with great flourish. He wanted the museum to send exhibitions around the country. He said the museum would not be “”just another Canberra monolith”, but “”an eloquent Australian building which will touch the ground lightly”.
The ACT Government is committed to the museum. A spokesperson for the Chief Minister, Rosemary Follett, said the pre-election offer of infrastructure “”still stands”.
The ACT had yet to see design and siting proposals, but the ACT intended to support the museum. The original estimate was for the ACT to provide $13 a year for four years in infrastructure.
The director of the museum, Margaret Coaldrake, said the $26 million was not dependent on private-sector money.
“”We are not going to the private sector until we have got the Commonwealth money,” she said. “”Until the promise is a commitment we cannot go out to the private sector. We are waiting for the Budget.”
She was confident that the museum would get private-sector support. The museum had a range of ideas, but would not put them to the private sector until the museum had the money.
The museum was first proposed in 1973 and the Yarramundi site ear-marked in 1976. The then Prime Minister, Malcolm Fraser, announced in 1979 that a $30 million museum would be built.
An interim council was set up in 1981 and collection has been steadily growing for the past 12 years with nowhere to display it.