Canberra Liberals MLA Peter Cain, Shadow Minister for Multicultural Affairs, will call on the ACT Labor-Greens government to honour their election promise to construct a multicultural venue at EPIC.

The Labor-Greens Parliamentary and Governing Agreement for the 10^th Assembly outlines that the government will ‘construct a large new multicultural events venue at EPIC for cultural performances and available for hire for large private functions, such as weddings’.

“In 2020, ACT Labor promised ‘to create hundreds of new local jobs by investing $21 million to build a new 10,000m² indoor venue at EPIC’, yet these terms were abandoned,” Mr Cain said.

“This year’s budget revealed a minor refurbishment, of an undisclosed amount, to the Fitzroy Pavilion that will fulfill the commitment in the ACT Government’s eyes.”

In Estimates Hearings in July, Tara Cheyne MLA, ACT Minister for Multicultural Affairs, stated that the refurbishment of Fitzroy Pavilion (announced in the Entertainment, Arts and Sports update of the ACT Infrastructure Plan) would “provide upgraded catering facilities and amenities, and be suitable for hosting larger scale community and multicultural events”. Mr Cain said then that the government had broken its promise.

“This is disingenuous from the Minister to believe this facility will match what they have promised,” Mr Cain said.

“This is a broken election promise to Canberra’s multicultural communities. My motion calls for this Labor-Greens government to formally honour its election commitment to construct a new, purpose-built multicultural events facility at EPIC.

“The multicultural and multifaith community occupies a treasured and celebrated position in the ACT, and as such deserve delivery of what was promised.

“This Labor-Greens government should not get away with breaking this promise, they cannot sweep it under the rug, and they cannot afford to disappoint our multicultural community where it’s politically expedient,” Mr Cain concluded.

Ms Cheyne has rejected Mr Cain’s premise that the government had broken its promise.

Construction is expected to be completed within the next 12 months, the minister said. Design is underway; the final design will be “considered once further engagement with the market has been undertaken”.