Queensland Cuts Cord on Languishing $300 Million Plan for Indigenous Arts Centres

Concepts for the centres had been suggested by Labor as early as the 1990s, but they never came to fruition.

Ronald 'Ringo' Terrick, an elder the Wurundjeri tribe sits on the steps of Parliment House during Sorry Day May 26, 2007 in Melbourne, Australia. Simon Fergusson/Getty Images

Queensland’s Liberal National Party (LNP) will shelve the development of two Indigenous cultural centres originally planned by the former Labor government.

LNP Arts Minister John-Paul Langbroek said the projects were stuck in limbo for too long.

First mooted in the late 1990s by former Premier Peter Beattie, but had not come to fruition since.

“Previous Labor governments had decades to progress the delivery of first Nations Cultural Centres in Cairns and Brisbane,” Langbroek told The Epoch Times in a statement.

“Despite repeated announcements, glossy brochures and unfunded promises, Labor failed to deliver any tangible outcomes.

“The [Premier David] Crisafulli government strongly believes Indigenous culture must be celebrated as part of a broader, inclusive, and multicultural Queensland.”

Queensland Minister for Education and the Arts John-Paul Langbroek at a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia on March 24, 2025. AAP Image/Mick Tsikas

The former Palaszczuk Labor government said the centres would “bring communities and cultures together and foster long-term social and economic benefits including creating jobs, training and employment opportunities for First Nations Peoples across the state.”

But even in 2023, discussions on the planned centres were locked in layers of bureaucracy—such as starting a procurement process to find an Indigenous “lead” to develop a framework that could guide consultations that would further deliver a business case.

Former Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk attends a press conference at parliament house in Brisbane, Australia, on March 25, 2020. Jono Searle/Getty Images

Recent estimates put the predicted cost of the centres at around $300 million (US $197 million).

Langbroek referred to Labor’s plans as “symbolic promises.”

“The Crisafulli government is committed to real support, not symbolic promises,” he said.

The minister said the government would look at incorporating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture into the 2032 Brisbane Olympics.

Indigenous Shadow Minister Leeanne Enoch criticised the LNP for announcing the decision during NAIDOC Week—intended to celebrate Indigenous culture.

“This speaks volumes,” she said.

The Epoch Times contacted the Queensland First Nations Tourism Council for comment.