Gallery design “towards the end of this year”

The design of the National Aboriginal Art Gallery is planned to be completed towards the end of the year, followed by a construction tender soon after, according to an announcement this morning by Minister for Infrastructure Eva Lawler and Minister for Central Australia Economic Reconstruction Chansey Paech. They say: “We intend to build this iconic Art Gallery at the ANZAC Hill precinct, which incorporates ANZAC Oval. The construction of the Art Gallery will open up the area for green space and community use." The oval is currently subject to compulsory acquisition from the Town Council. The statement says: "According to the comprehensive business case for the project the gallery will bring an additional 53,000 visitors to Alice Springs every year, injecting up to $64m into the local economy and generating up to 245 local jobs". PHOTO: The oval is currently the venue of numerous community events. Its use for the gallery is being opposed by significant numbers of the Aboriginal community who want to see the project located south of The Gap, and by people in the wider community, in particular those who feel that the oval is part of their local heritage.