Ms PATTEN (Northern Metropolitan) — Last week I attended a meeting at Abbotsford Convent to welcome the new CEO, Collette Brennan, and hear her vision for this wonderfully unique place. The plan is ambitious and if it is realised the 6.8 hectares of gardens and buildings will be developed, renovated and connected not only with the city but with the Yarra River and surrounding suburbs. I was impressed that they want to move from 60 per cent usage of the buildings to 100 per cent, and their plans to achieve this appear sound. They will use commercial leases to subsidise community leases. This will create the largest and, in my opinion, most interesting arts precinct in Australia.
