❓ A parliamentary question regarding the WA government's $76 million recovery package for the culture and arts sector, and the Minister's response outlining specific allocations for infrastructure, artists, and programs.
AnsweredQoN 587Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
CORONAVIRUS —
CULTURE AND THE ARTS ECONOMIC RECOVERY PACKAGE
587. Mr S.A. MILLMAN to the Minister for Culture and the Arts:
I
refer to the McGowan Labor government's $5.5 billion Western Australian
recovery plan, which includes a massive investment in supporting the
state's culture and arts sector.
(1) Can the
minister outline to this house what this government's $76 million
recovery package will mean for those workers in WA's creative
industries who have been hit hard by COVID-19?
(2) Can the minister outline what
this package will mean for key cultural infrastructure in WA?
CULTURE AND THE ARTS ECONOMIC RECOVERY PACKAGE
587. Mr S.A. MILLMAN to the Minister for Culture and the Arts:
I
refer to the McGowan Labor government's $5.5 billion Western Australian
recovery plan, which includes a massive investment in supporting the
state's culture and arts sector.
(1) Can the
minister outline to this house what this government's $76 million
recovery package will mean for those workers in WA's creative
industries who have been hit hard by COVID-19?
(2) Can the minister outline what
this package will mean for key cultural infrastructure in WA?
AnswerView source ↗
I
am very pleased to answer the question and I thank the member for Mount Lawley
for his question—a man of culture.
(1)–(2) I appreciate his strong advocacy for the creative
industries in Western Australia. I know that in his electorate there are a large
number of people who are practitioners—artists and artisans—in
the creative industries and I thank him for his advocacy. As we know, when
COVID-19 struck earlier this year, many industries were immediately impacted,
but none were more severely impacted than the entertainment, culture and arts
sector. Indeed, the sector continues
to be impacted even as we move into the recovery phase. However, this
government recognised very quickly
the needs of that industry and consulted closely with the industry. We
recognised that if we are to have a vibrant and creative industry in Western Australia,
an industry that values culture and arts and those creative people in our community who are creating jobs of the
future, we needed to respond.
I
want to outline very quickly some details of this package. This package
reflects job creation, investment and a
forward-thinking and forward-looking approach to what role creative industries
will play in a post-COVID economy. I will
highlight the contributions. The government has provided $30 million to the
Perth Concert Hall redevelopment, which will finally deliver a home for
the West Australian Symphony Orchestra and a genuine centre of music
excellence. It has provided $15 million to His Majesty's Theatre for
capital works. This magnificent building that dates back to 1904 will see the
return of its balconies and verandas and its heritage values of the past. This
will not only create jobs for people who work on the building, but also enhance that building as a wonderful, iconic
performing arts venue. I know that the member has worked very hard and
advocated very strongly for the new Jewish community centre in his electorate,
which has a strong Jewish community. The state government has committed $6 million
to that project. It has also provided $5 million
through Lotterywest to support an artists-in-residency program focused very
much on getting money out to local
artists to work within communities in collaboration with community
organisations and local government. These artists will be paid for their
work in developing innovative programs in the cultural space. The government
has provided $2 million towards the planning of an Aboriginal cultural centre—that
is very important. The Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Minister Wyatt, and I announced
this very important planning process so that
we will have the plans in place to deliver a world-class centre that showcases
our tremendous Indigenous history. I pay tribute to the member for Kimberley,
who announced that she will not be standing at the next election. She has been
a tremendous advocate for artists in her region, particularly Indigenous
artists. We have made a $2 million commitment to sell Western Australia to the
world and deliver a design-and-delivery portal for Aboriginal art sales and
performing arts events so that our Indigenous artists, be they fine arts
or visual artists or performing artists in the Indigenous space —
The SPEAKER : Minister, can
you face this way. Remember, Hansard is up in the gallery.
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : We will be
able to sell that to the world. This is something that has been asked for for a long time and we will deliver on it. We have
also provided $1 million for a regional arts resilience grants program ,
providing up to $15 000 in individual grants to get money out to individual
artists in our regions. The government has provided a $15 million commitment to
the Getting the Show back on the Road package because we want the lights back
on, the performers back on stage and the audiences coming back to our theatres
and performing arts venues and spaces. We have recognised that that is really
very important, and this program allows shared risk to be available to get
those performing arts venues back on track.
This is a $76 million commitment. It
builds on some other commitments made through Lotterywest, but it is all
focused on ensuring that we target our approach to what is needed in the
industry so that our artists can get back to work and our cultural
institutions, be they the Perth Concert Hall or His Majesty's Theatre,
are enhanced for when the borders come down and we welcome the world back from
interstate and overseas to see some magnificent and truly unique Western Australian experiences. This Premier and this
government is delivering a cultural recovery program to that very
important sector in Western Australia.
am very pleased to answer the question and I thank the member for Mount Lawley
for his question—a man of culture.
(1)–(2) I appreciate his strong advocacy for the creative
industries in Western Australia. I know that in his electorate there are a large
number of people who are practitioners—artists and artisans—in
the creative industries and I thank him for his advocacy. As we know, when
COVID-19 struck earlier this year, many industries were immediately impacted,
but none were more severely impacted than the entertainment, culture and arts
sector. Indeed, the sector continues
to be impacted even as we move into the recovery phase. However, this
government recognised very quickly
the needs of that industry and consulted closely with the industry. We
recognised that if we are to have a vibrant and creative industry in Western Australia,
an industry that values culture and arts and those creative people in our community who are creating jobs of the
future, we needed to respond.
I
want to outline very quickly some details of this package. This package
reflects job creation, investment and a
forward-thinking and forward-looking approach to what role creative industries
will play in a post-COVID economy. I will
highlight the contributions. The government has provided $30 million to the
Perth Concert Hall redevelopment, which will finally deliver a home for
the West Australian Symphony Orchestra and a genuine centre of music
excellence. It has provided $15 million to His Majesty's Theatre for
capital works. This magnificent building that dates back to 1904 will see the
return of its balconies and verandas and its heritage values of the past. This
will not only create jobs for people who work on the building, but also enhance that building as a wonderful, iconic
performing arts venue. I know that the member has worked very hard and
advocated very strongly for the new Jewish community centre in his electorate,
which has a strong Jewish community. The state government has committed $6 million
to that project. It has also provided $5 million
through Lotterywest to support an artists-in-residency program focused very
much on getting money out to local
artists to work within communities in collaboration with community
organisations and local government. These artists will be paid for their
work in developing innovative programs in the cultural space. The government
has provided $2 million towards the planning of an Aboriginal cultural centre—that
is very important. The Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Minister Wyatt, and I announced
this very important planning process so that
we will have the plans in place to deliver a world-class centre that showcases
our tremendous Indigenous history. I pay tribute to the member for Kimberley,
who announced that she will not be standing at the next election. She has been
a tremendous advocate for artists in her region, particularly Indigenous
artists. We have made a $2 million commitment to sell Western Australia to the
world and deliver a design-and-delivery portal for Aboriginal art sales and
performing arts events so that our Indigenous artists, be they fine arts
or visual artists or performing artists in the Indigenous space —
The SPEAKER : Minister, can
you face this way. Remember, Hansard is up in the gallery.
Mr D.A. TEMPLEMAN : We will be
able to sell that to the world. This is something that has been asked for for a long time and we will deliver on it. We have
also provided $1 million for a regional arts resilience grants program ,
providing up to $15 000 in individual grants to get money out to individual
artists in our regions. The government has provided a $15 million commitment to
the Getting the Show back on the Road package because we want the lights back
on, the performers back on stage and the audiences coming back to our theatres
and performing arts venues and spaces. We have recognised that that is really
very important, and this program allows shared risk to be available to get
those performing arts venues back on track.
This is a $76 million commitment. It
builds on some other commitments made through Lotterywest, but it is all
focused on ensuring that we target our approach to what is needed in the
industry so that our artists can get back to work and our cultural
institutions, be they the Perth Concert Hall or His Majesty's Theatre,
are enhanced for when the borders come down and we welcome the world back from
interstate and overseas to see some magnificent and truly unique Western Australian experiences. This Premier and this
government is delivering a cultural recovery program to that very
important sector in Western Australia.
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