Page 2659 - Week 08 - Tuesday, 15 August 2017
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instrument can ward off or at least delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease and even extend your life? And they are just a couple of examples in the health area.
The arts can contribute to better outcomes in almost every aspect of the life of a city and its people. Yet the government does not recognise this. The government does not consider how arts can have a powerful and positive role in the achievement of objectives and outcomes across all its directorates and agencies. And, even if it did, it could not measure them.
What about arts programs for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people? I asked the Minister for Arts and Community Events about the specific programs and targets the government has for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts and culture. I asked how these programs and targets will be engaged to achieve health, justice and other social outcomes. The acting minister told me:
The specific programs and targets are—
you guessed it—
yet to be determined.
And:
Ways to engage with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities on priorities are—
yes, you guessed it—
still being developed.
The acting minister also told me that there was $100,000 per year for five years from 2016-17 that had been allocated for this work. And when I asked how the money was spent in 2016-17 the answer came back that it was going to take five years and a cost of $500,000 to develop strategies.
The government’s draft consultation paper Mob in Arts is a 38-page document that, once again, had nothing about strategic plans the government has. It does not come up with any recommendations or practical action plans. It is another patronising set of motherhood statements.
Let me turn to the Kingston arts precinct for a bit and let me declare once again my interest. I am a member of community radio station, ArtSound FM, as is my senior adviser who is also a presenter there. ArtSound is one of the arts organisations identified as a potential tenant of the Kingston arts precinct.
I asked a couple of questions about the progress on this project. I asked how much it would cost for the master plan and administration of the tender process for selecting a developer, and the answer was $1.1 million. I asked how the developer’s plans for the site differ from the master plan, and I got fobbed off. I was told that the development plan had not been finalised. So the government has not yet approved it. We still have
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