Minister for Indigenous Australians
Construction of the Larrakia Cultural Centre in Darwin is a step closer to starting with a $56 million grant from the Aboriginal Benefits Account (ABA) to the Larrakia Development Corporation (LDC).
The iconic project will see a culturally significant site built in the heart of Darwin at the Stokes Hill Waterfront Precinct with construction expected to begin later this year and be completed in 2025.
The project is being managed by the Larrakia Development Corporation (LDC) on behalf of the Larrakia Development Trust (LDT) through a partnership between the Australian and Northern Territory Governments and the City of Darwin.
The development represents another cornerstone in the Darwin City Deal that will position Darwin as a vibrant tropical capital city by providing a celebration of Larrakia history, culture, places, language and families.
The Larrakia Cultural Centre will feature a variety of educational facilities, an exhibition space and gallery, an outdoor auditorium, café/restaurant, art studios, artefact storage, a retail shop and function rooms for meetings and events.
During the demolition phase of the project, the LDC had an established Aboriginal employment rate of 30% and its contractor NTEX achieved an Aboriginal employment rate of 53%.
The Aboriginal trainees on the project have been offered permanent placements with NTEX which provides immediate employment opportunities alongside the longer-term tourism benefits.
The ABA is a Special Account established under the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976 to benefit Aboriginal people living in the Northern Territory (NT) that is generated through royalties from mining on Aboriginal land in the NT.
ABA arrangements have recently transferred to the Northern Territory Aboriginal Investment Corporation (NTAIC), a new Aboriginal-led corporate Commonwealth entity which will implement a simplified and streamlined ABA grants program to deliver greater benefits to Aboriginal people in the NT.
