The Canberra Liberals claim that the ACT Government has broken their promise to “construct a large new multicultural events venue at EPIC for cultural performances and available for hire for large private functions, such as weddings” (commitment 15.1 of the Parliamentary and Governing Agreement).

This was a major commitment for the 2020 election that had not been fulfilled approaching the 2024 election, said Peter Cain MLA, Shadow Minister for Multicultural Affairs.

In Estimates Hearings yesterday, 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 that Ms Cheyne’s claim that the proposed refurbishment of the Fitzroy Pavilion at EPIC would sufficiently fulfill the commitment was “disingenuous and misleading”.

“The Minister is attempting to pass off a minor refurbishment of the Fitzroy Pavilion as the $21 million venue promised for multicultural Canberrans at the 2020 ACT election,” Mr Cain said.

“This is a broken election promise to Canberra’s multicultural communities.

“Multicultural Canberrans now have irrefutable confirmation this disingenuous Labor-Greens government will not deliver the facility as was promised in the PAGA.”

The Canberra Multicultural Community Forum had understood that the ACT Government was committed to provide a dedicated multicultural centre, its chair, Chin Wong, said.

The CMCF, she continued, had always been concerned about the ACT Government’s “lack of apparent active engagement involving wider multicultural community groups”.

“The accessibility of information regarding the configuration and design of facilities has not been forthcoming.”

Ms Cheyne 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”.

But Mr Cain cast doubt on the delivery of the project.

“When I asked the Chief Minister about the timing of the venue’s completion in a Question on Notice, I was advised that they do not even know when construction will start,” he said.

Mr Cain questioned Ms Cheyne whether the multicultural community would be offered discounted rates or have to pay commercial rates to hire the Fitzroy Pavillion.

“This pre-existing facility is like any other government venue for hire that will be available for use to other EPIC users,” Mr Cain said.

The minister said could not speak to the issue.

“Accessibility and rent, insurance coverage, and range of costs involved to hire the venue would need to be addressed, as the majority of multicultural communities could not afford,” Mrs Wong said.

“Multicultural Canberrans not only deserve a government with integrity, but they deserve a government that is competent,” Mr Cain concluded.

“This is just another example of basic standards of integrity and competence not even being remotely met by this Barr-Rattenbury government.”