The CLP has entered into the National Aboriginal Art Gallery debate, declaring it will build the facility at Alice Springs Desert Park instead of Anzac Oval if it wins government in August.

The Territory Labor Government is pushing ahead with plans to build the gallery at the Anzac Oval site, threatening to compulsory acquire the land after being met with opposition from Alice Springs Town Council.

When the project was announced several years ago an Initial Steering Committee suggested Alice Springs Desert Park as the preferred location for the gallery.

The CLP’s candidate for Araluen Damien Ryan said the Alice Springs Desert Park was also the home of the Parrtjima light festival and it made sense to put the gallery there.

“The whole process has been destroyed and our town divided by the heavy hand antics of the Gunner Government failing to listen or take into consideration the people of Alice Springs,” Mr Ryan said. 

“There was an expert panel put in place and yet again the Chief Minister and his government have chosen to ignore it despite this costing taxpayers’ money.

“Quite frankly this project should already be underway by now.”

CLP candidate for Araluen Damien Ryan

Mr Ryan, who is also the Mayor of Alice Springs, has declared a conflict of interest on the issue along with deputy Mayor Matt Paterson, who is running for Territory Alliance, and will no longer take part in discussions in their council roles. 

In two separate press releases issued last week, the government announced the Lhere Artepe Aboriginal Corporation had provided a letter of support to construct the art gallery at Anzac Oval, while also announcing it had signed an Indigenous Land Use Agreement (ILUA) with the corporation.

However a statement by the Mparntwe custodians in the following days, supplied to the NT Independent, stated that they do not consent to the development of the gallery at the government’s preferred Anzac Oval site, and said they were upset by the government’s movements while they grieved the loss of family members.

It’s unclear how the Mparntwe custodian’s position will affect the Gunner Government’s move to acquire the land.

Council has maintained it will fight any attempts from the government to compulsorily acquire Anzac Oval.

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