Page 2079 - Week 07 - Thursday, 20 August 2020
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experienced significant income loss from cancelled venue hire and not being able to run workshops and classes. We have provided over $1 million to ensure that any government-funded arts organisation concerned about their financial viability because of COVID-19 can keep running with confidence until there is a full budget in 2021. This is in addition to over $5.5 million in ongoing core funding that the ACT government provides annually to those organisations.
We have also provided just under $360,000 in rent relief to tenants in ACT arts centres and $326,000 to 14 screwdriver-ready capital works across nine arts facilities sites, engaging over 50 Canberra workers from seven local businesses. Rent relief benefitted, directly and indirectly, over 60 Canberra arts organisations and artists.
The ACT government has also provided an additional $2.5 million in funding to the Cultural Facilities Corporation in 2021 to enable it to continue its operations and to keep employing its staff during the COVID pandemic, in recognition of the major downturn in income through the loss of theatre revenues.
Finally, as we move beyond our emergency response in the near to medium future, I am working with artsACT and with my advisory creative council to look toward recovery and resilience for a sector that gives so much to our people in this city. I have recently announced a further $375,000 to develop a creative recovery and resilience program which will be developed in consultation with the arts sector to help rebuild, celebrate and strengthen our Canberra creatives into the future.
Schools—hazardous materials
MISS C BURCH: My question is to the Minister for Education and Early Childhood Development. Minister, in the last 12 months, hazardous material has been discovered in classrooms, school buildings and outside areas in at least four ACT public schools, leading to disruption, dislocation and school closures. When the first of these schools was identified, what actions did you take to satisfy yourself that this was an isolated incident?
MS BERRY: There are 69 schools in the ACT that contain hazardous materials like lead paint and asbestos that are being managed, with expert advice. They are managed appropriately, with expert advice. When situations are brought to my attention, I visit the school and seek assurance for myself and get expert advice given to me in person so that I can be assured that the action that is being taken is appropriate. I depend on that expert advice to ensure that I can provide that reassurance in a frequent, up-to-date and honest way to families and those school communities to ensure that they have everything that they need, that they are provided with all of the information up-front and that they can get the supports that they need, offered by the Education Directorate and their school communities.
MISS C BURCH: How many schools of a similar age to Yarralumla have, in the last six months, had an environmental assessment to ensure that any hazardous materials are stable?
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