Labor wants power station art gallery
WA Labor wants the Barnett Government to guarantee the public will get access to East Perth power station buildings, with Opposition Leader Mark McGowan floating the idea of it being home to a private art collection.
The Government will offer the 8.5ha of riverside land on which the power station sits as part of its land sale program to bring down State debt.
In 2004, the Gallop government spent $15 million to preserve the power station buildings and in 2008 the Carpenter government promised to spend $505 million to house a new State museum there.
But the Barnett Government cancelled the project in its first Budget, instead pledging $428 million for a new museum on its existing Francis Street site.
Mr McGowan said he did not oppose selling the site, but public access was crucial. He feared the Government planned to "maximise the value".
"It should not be sold off in a fire sale, it should not be used just for housing," he said. "It should be a place where people have access, where the river is integrated, whether the power station is integrated to something very special for the future."
In 2003, Seven West Media chairman Kerry Stokes had preliminary talks with the Gallop government about housing his collection of art and manuscripts there in a bid to turn the power station into a gallery akin to London's Tate Modern. But both sides cooled on the idea.
Caroline Cohen, a local resident and co-chair of the Banks Precinct Action Group, said the power station was a community asset that should be retained for the community.
"It would be awful if this was a missed opportunity to do something fabulous with this building," she said.
Lands Minister Terry Redman said the Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority would manage disposal of the site.
Chief executive Kieran Kinsella said the MRA's vision was for a vibrant commercial, retail, residential and recreational area with its heritage maintained.
