ACT Multicultural Council chair Andrew Hg, ACT independent Senator David Pocock, Fair Canberra Inc’s Toa Takiari and Migrant and Refugee Settlement Services Australia (MARSS) CEO Sonia Di Mezza. Photo: Supplied.
ACT independent Senator David Pocock has launched a multi-pronged campaign to secure a new multicultural centre for Canberra.
It was announced in 2024 that $4.6 million would be used to refurbish Fitzroy Pavilion for multicultural communities, but this was labelled a “broken promise” by the Canberra Liberals, given the original plan was to “construct a large new multicultural events venue at EPIC for cultural performances and available for hire for large private functions, such as weddings”.
Mr Pocock also labelled the promise as “subsequently broken”, stating the refurbishment had failed to meet community needs.
“Governments need to genuinely listen to the community, deliver what they commit to rather than some lesser version and keep promises made in the lead up to elections,” he said.
“So much of celebrating culture revolves around food and the absence of a commercial kitchen in the Fitzroy Pavilion refit renders it inadequate for its intended purpose.”
Mr Pocock said there was a precedent for the Commonwealth to fund such projects, pointing to $106,000 pledged by the Albanese Government to upgrade Queanbeyan and Goulburn’s multicultural centres, and $5 million for a regional multicultural centre in the Illawarra.
But Canberra missed out.
Mr Pocock said that, with more than a quarter of Canberrans born overseas and more than 200 active multicultural community organisations in the Territory, it was time to invest in a new multicultural centre rather than letting the ACT miss out again on Commonwealth social infrastructure investments.
“Like many Canberrans, I hate seeing the ACT continually missing out on the kind of projects that other electorates receive federal funding for,” he said.
“We have competing funding priorities in the ACT with housing, health – especially the hospital, GPs, out-of-pocket costs for scans – and education chief among them.
“However, key social infrastructure can’t be overlooked, especially when there is precedent for federal funding to support the delivery of new projects.”
Fair Canberra Inc executive member Toa Takiari said the group had been trying for six years to have an appropriate multicultural centre built in Gungahlin.
“The Pacific community [for example] is growing every year, and we need to have a centre other than the one we have already in Civic,” she said, referring to the Theo Notaras Multicultural Centre, which opened in 2000.
“We need a bigger kitchen, we need to run programs every week, but … the [current] multicultural centre has served its purpose.”
ACT Multicultural Council chair Andrew Hg added that such a centre was vital for the social cohesion, belonging and economic participation of culturally and linguistically diverse Canberrans.
“For too long, Canberra’s vibrant, growing multicultural communities have lacked a central, purpose-built space where cultures can be celebrated, languages shared [and] vital services delivered,” he said.
“A multicultural centre is not a luxury, it is an essential investment.”
The accessibility and functionality upgrades mean the Pavilion can host functions of up to 1700 people – depending on the style of the event and final set-up – and has been hired by community groups 17 times since the works were completed.
An ACT Government spokesperson acknowledged the “immense contributions” different cultures brought to Canberra, and stated this was why the government was continuing to invest in new and expanded facilities.
“Construction is also underway on a new community centre in Gungahlin and an Expression of Interest has been opened to land owners for the new community centre in Woden,” they said.
The ACT Government previously identified six blocks of land to build community centres and places of worship in Gungahlin, Chisholm, Evatt, Kambah, Gowrie and Molonglo.
But multicultural groups have pointed out that community centres can’t adequately accommodate larger cultural gatherings, such as festivals and annual celebrations.
David Pocock has launched a dedicated webpage, petition, and community survey as part of the campaign.
