Tandanya

The Hon. T.T. NGO (15:16): My question is to the Attorney-General. Can the Attorney-General tell the council about the Labor government's investment in Aboriginal cultural institutions such as Tandanya?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector) (15:16): I thank the honourable member for his question and his longstanding interest in Aboriginal affairs, and his long time involvement—often as chair, particularly of the Aboriginal Lands Parliamentary Standing Committee. The honourable member is well known to many in the Aboriginal community for the roles he has played and the help and advice he has given over a long period of time.

Tandanya, officially named the National Aboriginal Cultural Institute, has long been recognised as one of Australia's leading Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural venues that promotes reconciliation and fosters understanding of Aboriginal culture through immersive exhibitions and performances.

Established in 1989 and named Tandanya, or 'the place of the red kangaroo', Tandanya has nurtured and promoted generations, now, of artists, giving them a platform and a place to share culture and talent with the community. Tandanya has been a culturally safe space for exhibitions and shows across its lifetime, including regularly as a venue for the South Australian Living Artists Festival and also, as I have been very happy to partake in a number of times, for various performances and collaborations as part of the Adelaide Fringe.

The venue recently hosted exhibits by up-and-coming artists such as Mali Isabel and Reilly O'Loughlin, as well as being part of the 2022 Illuminate festival, with the immersive Wild Dog installation that saw Indigenous artists from parts of Australia right up to places like Taiwan as part of that installation.

As time has passed and Tandanya's legacy has grown, its home on Grenfell Street has faced a number of structural issues due to its age. Last year these issues unfortunately saw Tandanya close its doors temporarily to the public for fear of safety concerns. The board of directors at Tandanya and its administration have worked closely with the government to identify and address some of these infrastructure issues that have temporarily prevented Tandanya's doors being open to the public.

As a result, the government worked collaboratively—particularly the Minister for the Arts in the other place—and we were pleased to announce that the government will provide a grant of $780,000 to rectify structural issues to enable the venue to reopen. This includes electrical work, repair of deteriorating internal walls and doors, painting, and replacement of flooring. With this funding secured and work soon to be underway, it is anticipated that Tandanya will reopen to the public in the very first part of 2025. I am very much looking forward to this important hub continuing to thrive and sharing culture with this state, the nation and the world for many years to come.