The Aboriginal art gallery, now known as ATSIAGA, will be placed on about half of the present Anzac Oval car park in Wills Terrace.

ATSIAGA stands for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Gallery of Australia, suggesting the plan still has ambitions for national status.

It will be surrounded by “current and additional” car parking at the western side, the existing Anzac Oval, and a small open space adjoining the Over 50 premises.

There will be additional car parking where the old high school was demolished, to the north of the oval.

This was announced by Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro this morning.

“We have listened to the people of Alice Springs,” she says in a media announcement.

However there was no mention of the assertive campaign by traditional custodians who want the gallery to be built south of The Gap.

Ms Finocchiaro announced that design and scale of the gallery will be revised to a three-storey 4,000sqm building to ensure it fits within the wider Masterplan revealed this morning.

“This will be delivered to a budget of $149 million.

“The CLP will reinstate Anzac Oval as a rugby field with restoration works to commence and be complete in time for the rugby season in February 2025.”

Updated November 23, 2024 10am.

The Alice Springs News understands that the revised scope and scale of the gallery appropriately reflects what realistically can be delivered within the allocated budget of $149m. The amount set aside for the initially planned 7000sqm was $150m.

We understand the NT construction company Sitzler are currently completing Stage 1 of the managing contractor contract and have been assisting with the current Master Plan and associated investigative works.

Sitzler was in July awarded the tender to construct the gallery.

Any future tenders are expected to be announced as the project progresses.

This article appeared on Alice Springs News on 21 November 2024.