On the back of the Federal Budget, the Northern Territory government has announced a significant increase in capacity of the Darwin Convention Centre, allocating $19.2 million to the project.
The investment will expand the capacity of the Darwin Convention Centre by 4350 seats, taking total capacity to 5550. Upgrades will also include improvements to public amenities and AV equipment.
Following the announcement Darwin Convention Centre general manager, Peter Savoff, said this was an exciting opportunity “because it will add to the versatility of our venue and allow us to cater to a wider range of events throughout the year.”
NT Chief Minister, Eva Lawler, said tourism and major events are key pillars of the Territory’s economy which is why the government is backing projects that support growth in these industries.
“We’re boosting the capacity of the Darwin Convention Centre because we need the facilities to be able to bring bigger and better events to the Territory – because that means more work opportunities for Territorians,” she said.
This announcement follows plans to improve the entire waterfront precinct where the convention centre is located, with the government recently signing a development agreement with Singapore hotel developers CEL to build a Darwin Convention Centre hotel.
The 236 bed hotel is a key part of the masterplan to redevelop the waterfront into one of Australia’s leading integrated lifestyle and tourism destinations.
In other NT budget announcements, the Lawler Government demonstrated its commitment to the tourism and events sector, announcing $68 million for tourism and $41 million for NT Major Events, with a $4 million boost to continue to deliver world class major events and attract new events to add to the Territory calendar.
No time-line has been given on expansion of the Darwin Convention Centre or construction of the new waterfront hotel.