NT company Sitzler has been awarded the tender to construct the National Aboriginal Art Gallery.
Site preparation and first stage construction works are set to rollout in the coming weeks, according to a government media release.
The project represents the most significant infrastructure investment in Central Australia, with a joint investment of $154m from the Northern Territory and Australian Governments.
The gallery has now been renamed the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Gallery of Australia (ATSIAGA).
The National Reference Group endorsed the name after it was tested by the market to ensure it was representative of Indigenous Australians; and defined and described its primary purpose.
It is anticipated ATSIAGA will open in 2027, and will attract thousands of visitors to the town each year.
The first stage of construction will secure the site, establish a site office, complete the design development, secure the managing contractor, and begin value engineering; with $2.2 million accelerating these works into delivery.
“Will attract thousands of visitors to the town each year.” Wishful thinking or editorial licence?
Don’t know why, but this reminds me of the Asian high rollers who were expected to flock to our casino.
Perhaps this one will also end up being flogged to private investors at a bargain basement price.
All the same I’d rather taxpayer’s money is spent on art than on military equipment, but that is just an opinion.
It’s so sad to destroy our beautiful oval when the gallery could have gone south of The Gap. It’s doomed for failure as it’s not the place where the Aboriginal people want it. How disrespectful is that. Shame on the NT Government for not listening to us locals.
The National Reference Group endorsed the name after it was tested by the market to ensure it was representative of Indigenous Australians; and defined and described its primary purpose.
These people are not serious – ATSIAGA instead of NAAG – I wonder how the “market” got on pronouncing it? It’s not designed for Indigenous Australians in any case, but tourists and the people who will make money out of designing and building it.
This selling of our site sacred to all Alice Springs residents, the Anzac Oval, is proving that the government of the day is not interested in the locals and their thoughts of our town, that means so much to all Alice Springs residents over the years.
What will then happen to the Community Centre, that was built by the locals for a pre school, and now a meeting place for all locals in Alice?
This is also on the Anzac grounds.
There seems to be no departments ready with true answers to the questions.
Anzac oval – what an unfortunate turn of events. Locals of Alice will need to suffer for so long after this blatant destruction of an iconic location has been removed from the town.
A monument of unity for all the Indigenous and non-Indigenous ADF members and their families that are so proud of them.
Seems to be another wedge in the crack to divide instead of uniting all Australians and the town of Alice Springs.
I do hope all the voters remember you are being treated as a gold fish expecting after a quick lap of the the tank you have forgotten all these projects you have been told you have to have due others knowing what you need.
Surely we can get the contractors to build something else instead and they seem to be so busy already.