I am delighted to announce that the Australian Government will provide $1.5 million to help establish the Slim Dusty Centre in Kempsey.
The Slim Dusty Centre will link Slim's life and his music with our culture, our land and people. The greater part of the Australian Government's contribution towards the Centre, which will come from the Government's Regional Partnerships programme, will be used to construct the Centre and to fitout two transport-related interactive displays in the museum: the 'Truckies' and 'Ridin' the Rails' displays. The Truckies display will highlight the life of long distance truck drivers through the song 'Lights on the Hill' and 'Ridin' the Rails' display will emphasise the importance of rail transport in Australia's development and culture.
It is proposed that the Slim Dusty Centre will, in addition to a museum of Slim Dusty's life and music, incorporate a gallery and concert facility, an entertainment venue for country music and a recording studio. The Centre will provide employment and create further tourism opportunities for Kempsey.
The Centre will be a celebration of a great life. Slim is Australia's most prolific and best selling recording artist. Slim was awarded 36 Golden Guitars at the Tamworth Country Music Awards, was inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame and the Country Music Roll of Renown and was named Father of the Year and Senior Australian of the Year in 1999.
I congratulate all those who have come together to support this project, including the Slim Dusty Foundation, and in particular Slim's wife Joy, Australia's Holiday Coast Area Consultative Committee, the local community and the state government. Through the Slim Dusty Centre, Slim's music will continue to touch the lives of many more Australians.