I am pleased to announce that the Government will spend $5 million
from its Federation Fund to help establish an Australian Prospectors
& Miners Hall of Fame in Kalgoorlie-Boulder.
The funding will contribute to the construction of a public museum
and mining heritage precinct at a site 4 km from the centre of
Kalgoorlie-Boulder.
The site will also be used as a centre of research into the mining
industry and as a repository for mining records, artefacts and equipment
of national significance.
The project has gained strong local and industry support, with the
private sector having already committed significant funding. A design
for the Hall of Fame was selected through a national architectural
competition.
The project will complement the Stockmans Hall of Fame in Longreach,
Queensland, with a target of 100,000 visitors annually. It is estimated
that such visitor numbers would contribute $21 million to the Western
Australian economy every year.
It is anticipated that 250 jobs will be created in the construction
phase of the project, with a further 100 jobs created in the community
once the centre is fully operational, including in the tourism and
hospitality areas.
The Prospectors and Miners Hall of Fame project was nominated as the
Western Australian Government's second priority for assistance from
the Federation Fund.
The Government has already committed $80 million for an infrastructure
development at Jervoise Bay, which was the State Government's first
priority.
The mining industry has made a significant contribution to our national
progress and development and has shaped our national culture. Annual
mining exports are worth $40 billion a year.
The Hall of Fame project will provide a worthwhile recognition of
this contribution and is a highly suitable way of marking Australia's
Centenary of Federation.
The $1 billion Federation Fund is being spent on projects of national
significance to help Australia celebrate the Centenary of Federation
in 2001.