Page 2355 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 12 August 2014
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In terms of the arts, Mr Assistant Speaker, Canberrans continue to appreciate the benefits of the arts and culture to our community. Investing in creative and cultural assets generates economic growth and social development. It creates jobs and exports while promoting social inclusion, cultural diversity and human development. According to the ABS, cultural and creative activity contributed $86 billion to the Australian gross domestic product on a national accounts basis back in 2008-09. And we know that we need to do more to break down precisely the economic value of the arts to the economy, and this was identified by the estimates committee in its report. I am pleased to inform the Assembly that work is already underway on this economic analysis, which was discussed with me when I met with the Childers Group.
The government provides more than $8 million in arts funding through a number of programs to support and develop our artists and enable the community to engage with the arts. This budget provides an opportunity to consolidate work already undertaken and complete the initiatives funded in previous years.
We have committed to continuing work on the key priority areas identified in the arts policy framework and will deliver on our election commitments. We did promise funding to redevelop the Kingston Arts Precinct and the Ainslie Arts Centre. In 2013-14 we allocated $300,000 to continue the development of Kingston, and a feasibility study is currently underway into developing a visual arts precinct there. Last year we allocated $1.5 million to Ainslie for capital works, and these projects will be completed in this year.
We also promised to invest $1 million for Gorman House, and in last year’s budget we committed that for capital upgrades. The upgrades are being done in consultation with the Gorman House community. We also promised to bring back the Fringe, and we certainly did that in this year’s Multicultural Festival. In keeping with that promise, I am pleased to let this Assembly know that a peer-assessed expression of interest process for the 2015 Fringe producer is currently being assessed by artsACT and its independent panel. The government remains committed to the peer assessment of application for arts funding, a process which the ACT community strongly supports.
We also promised $750,000 for a feasibility, site selection and design study into building a new theatre, and we have commenced this work. In this year’s budget funds have been provided for the feasibility study into a new Canberra Theatre as part of the city to the lake project, and EDD will work closely with the Cultural Facilities Corporation to plan future theatre provision for the city. I note that the estimates committee recommended that we consider establishing this theatre as a national performing arts centre, and I am happy to say that the government has agreed to that recommendation and will certainly consider that suggestion. The budget also delivers major capital funding for the Canberra Theatre Centre, and this will go to the upgrade of lighting and fittings through the theatre and the Playhouse.
The arts community is vibrant across the suburbs, across the ages and across the disciplines. As mentioned, our community participate in arts activity and we certainly enjoy the difference that our arts community bring to our city.
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