Meanwhile, the Opposition has refused to issue its arts policy until closer to the election.

The 11m-high art piece, Dinornis Maximum, was to be installed at Yarra Glen by the end of last month.

A spokeswoman for Chief Minister Jon Stanhope said yesterday the artist, Phil Price, who liked to install his own pieces, had other commitments in July so the launch had been delayed.

The Government guarantees that 1 per cent of the annual capital works budget will be used to buy new public art and maintain existing pieces in Canberra.

The Opposition has promised not to include public art works as part of its proposed $93 million duplication of the Gungahlin Drive Extension. The Government spent $750,000 on works along the GDE. Mr Stanhope was asked if the Government would put art works along its proposed $90 million GDE duplication.

His spokeswoman said, ''The per cent-for-art scheme does not require that funds generated from a particular capital works project are spent in conjunction with that particular capital works project. No thought at all has been given to including a public art component in the duplication of the GDE and none is intended. The Chief Minister has asked the Opposition to confirm whether it would abolish the per cent-for-art scheme if elected in October.''

Opposition Leader Zed Seselja said, ''We believe that the almost $1 million that was spent on art work on the GDE would have been better directed to completing the road. With regard to wider arts policy, the Canberra Liberals will announce this prior to the election.''