Mr FAHEY (Finance and Administration) (1:28 PM) —I move:

That, in accordance with the provisions of the Public Works Committee Act 1969, it is expedient to carry out the following proposed work which was referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works and on which the committee has duly reported to Parliament: New facilities for the National Museum of Australia and the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies.

The National Museum of Australia was established with bipartisan political support by the National Museum of Australia Act 1980 to research Australian history, develop and maintain a national collection of historical material, create exhibitions and programs which explore our heritage and history and make them accessible to more Australians. The museum will combine the best contemporary exhibition techniques, new media technologies and live performances and will offer a range of experiences to appeal to visitors of all kinds. It will include a high definition digital theatre and electronic linkages to make it a world-class museum and distance learning centre serving schools, state museums and other cultural venues nationally and internationally.

The institute, which was originally established in 1964, is the largest research centre of its kind for information about cultures and lifestyles of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. To support its research and other functional activities, the institute maintains collections of audiovisual material, books, journals and manuscripts which it holds in trust for indigenous Australians. Co-location of the museum and institute will allow both organisations to take their place among the other national institutions located in Canberra. In addition, the ACT government intends to establish an ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Centre on the site, which will contribute to the creation of a unique cultural precinct in Canberra. Future use of the Yarramundi site is yet to be decided.

Subject to parliamentary approval, construction is scheduled to commence in October 1998 and the buildings are scheduled to be ready to open on 1 January 2001 as the Commonwealth's flagship for the centenary of Federation celebrations. The proposal was referred to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works on 30 October 1997 and the committee tabled its report on 23 June 1998, recommending that the proposal should proceed. However, the committee has raised a number of issues, including some in relation to the competition process and the proposed contractual arrangements. The committee has also requested that it be provided with reports on progress with the project.

While a formal international architectural competition was not conducted, as this would have been much more expensive and would have required an additional 12 to 18 months to conduct, international firms were invited to compete. The conditions were also tailored to enable architectural practices of all sizes to compete. The competition was conducted and judged with the benefit of expert advice, including advice from architects recommended by the Royal Australian Institute of Architects who have since commended the conduct of the competition and the selection of the winning design team.

The purpose of the competition was not to select an architect on the basis of a fully completed and costed design, but rather to select a design team that would undertake that detailed design development. The selection included consideration of the concept designs provided by the short-listed teams. These concept designs were based on the detailed functional brief which was prepared by a specialist brief writer, including indicative budgets for the project. The development of the completed design from the original concept design is now proceeding as planned.

On the basis of expert advice, the government has concluded that the method of project alliancing is the most appropriate delivery strategy for this complex project and the one most likely to achieve the project objectives relating to time, cost and quality. A project alliance involves the creation of a single, integrated high performance team working to achieve common project objectives and pre-agreed commercial outcomes for all parties. The project alliance thus focuses all parties on achieving outstanding project results and not on protecting each party's contractual position. At the same time, there are appropriate protections for the government as client, including reverting to a more traditional contracting approach at any point if necessary.

Three separate buildings will be co-located on the site. They will comply with all appropriate planning requirements in industry and environmental standards. Internal planning of the museum will allow for relatively simple future expansion. The design allows for an expansion footprint of about 2,200 square metres, which could provide up to an extra 4,400 square metres of gross floor area over two levels.

The government has approved total funding of $151.9 million for the project, comprising $133 million for capital works and $18.9 million for one-off establishment costs. On the basis of professional advice, the government is confident that the project is capable of being delivered on time and within budget. As with any project, there will be appropriate monitoring and reporting on progress but, as requested, the government will in this instance also provide progress reports to the committee. I thank the committee for its support. I commend the motion to the House.

Question resolved in the affirmative.