Western Australia's Premier Colin Barnett has confirmed that $378.5m of state funds will be spent from 2016 to 2019 on the construction of a new site for the Western Australian Museum at the Perth Cultural Centre.
Development company Brookfield Multiplex is currently in negotiations with the government to build the new museum in cooperation with local architecture firm Hassell, and Dutch designers OMA. The museum will be closed throughout construction, starting from next Saturday, June 18, and the construction effort is expected to employ 3,300 workers and be completed by the end of 2019. The museum's collections will be stored at its research centre in Welshpool until it reopens to the public at the new location in 2020.
Barnett has expressed confidence that the museum will attract both Australian and international tourism, as well as promoting scientific development. He compared the planned museum to other major infrastructure projects, including Elizabeth Quay, Perth Stadium and Yagan Square, which the state government has invested in with the intention of bringing economic and cultural benefits to Western Australia. As a tourist attraction, the new museum could take advantage of postcard printing, allowing visitors to take home images of visually striking exhibits from the museum and share them with others.
Other Western Australian cultural projects are also receiving a boost in funding, including $16m for a regional film fund over the next four years.
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