Page 3022 - Week 09 - Thursday, 13 October 2022
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
period of 2022-2026. That is the roadmap we will take to achieve the ambition. Alongside the policy, I released a new Arts Organisation Investment Framework and guidelines. The framework will meet the changing needs of the ACT arts community, reset the arts sector and increase vibrancy, relevance and sustainability.
In the context of these significant policy developments, I am genuinely delighted that our budget contains significant new and ongoing investment in our arts and cultural sectors. The ACT arts fund is being boosted by more than $3 million over four years, including $720,000 indexed and ongoing from 2025-26 for ACT arts organisations to provide programs, services, expertise and infrastructure to support and develop the arts and engage with the local community.
With this increase, over $7.9 million per year will be provided to Canberra’s leading arts organisations, effectively a 10 per cent increase. This will enable new arts organisation entrants that are meeting community needs to be funded for the first time in many years. We are also providing additional operational funding for Belconnen Arts Centre of $150,000 per annum and Ainslie and Gorman Arts Centre of $125,000 per annum for two years to 2023-24, addressing immediate operational costs pressures and building on the support we provided in previous budgets.
Through this budget, we are investing $8 million in the major heritage restorations and critical building upgrades at Gorman Arts Centre, as well as a strategic framework for the future management of government arts facilities. Arts facilities are important places for community and cultural engagement, providing pathways for participation in the arts and affordable, specific spaces to develop, produce, display and promote contemporary arts.
This investment in Gorman Arts Centre will enhance accessibility, safety and energy efficiency and deliver major heritage restorations in time for the centre’s 100th birthday in 2024. This initiative continues the support provided by the government for the upgrade of arts facilities, including through the initiative in 2019-20 of upgrading local arts facilities. This budget backs in the government’s ambition for the arts, and I commend this part of the appropriation bill to the Assembly.
MR BARR (Kurrajong—Chief Minister, Treasurer, Minister for Climate Action, Minister for Economic Development and Minister for Tourism) (10.44): I think I might be the final speaker in this area so I will get underway. The Chief Minister, Treasury and Economic Development Directorate covers an enormous area of policy and programs. I could spend the rest of this week speaking about it, but I will spare the Assembly that!
I do want to highlight a number of priorities and then I will endeavour to respond to some of the issues that have been raised by other speakers, including some interesting new policy positions that have been brought forward, but I will get to that in a moment.
This government, through its budget, seeks to deliver on the priorities of this community, to deliver on the election commitments that the government has made and to manage the territory’s finances in a prudent manner. We are focused on delivering high-quality services for our growing population, the fastest-growing state or territory
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video