Presented by Robert Clark MP		www.robertclark.net

INDECISION, UNIONS, DELAY NATIONAL GALLERY PROJECT

News Release - Monday 26 February 2001

The National Gallery of Victoria redevelopment project is suffering from the indecisiveness and building union disruption which are becoming the hallmarks of the Bracks Government, the State Opposition said today.

The State Opposition welcomed today's announcement of the awarding of the contract for the redevelopment of the National Gallery of Victoria, a project initiated by the former Coalition government.

However, the Opposition expressed concern at the slippage in the completion date for the project from early 2002, as at the change of government in 1999, to 2003 as at today's announcement, with the risk of further delays before the redevelopment is actually completed.

"There are two main reasons for the delay in this project to date. The first reason is the four months it took the Bracks Government to decide the future of the water wall. The second is the months it has taken to negotiate a site agreement with the unions," the Shadow Minister for Major Projects, Robert Clark, said.

"When the Bracks Government came to office in October 1999, the issues about the water wall were well known. What was needed was a decision. Yet it took the Government until February 2000 to make up its mind.

"Even when the Premier finally announced the Government's decision in February 2000, he said that construction was due to start in July 2000. It is now seven months later, and work has still not started.

"Tenders for the project did not even close until August, and a decision on those tenders, due by October, has dragged on until today.

"Much of this has been due to delays in negotiating a site agreement with the unions."

Shadow Minister for the Arts, Lorraine Elliott, said that the delay was not only disappointing for the National Gallery, but was also causing flow-on difficulties for the State Library.

The State Library needs to re-occupy the area currently occupied by the National Gallery at Russell Street in order to complete its own refurbishment program.

"As well, with the delay in the National Gallery redevelopment and in the Museum of Australian Art at Federation Square, storage space around Melbourne is being occupied with art works - and this is storage space which the Library would like to use for its own storage needs."