Parliamentary Inquiry into Local Government Sustainability
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Local Government Matters
ANA’s national focus group research shows that middle Australians think arts and culture are the building blocks of community, connection and place, and that they believe cultural and creative engagement creates specific benefits for themselves and their families.
International and Australian research confirms the wide range of benefits that arts and cultural participation can bring to all Australians, including mental health, wellbeing and social cohesion.
We provide the following information to assist the Inquiry:
- Cultural and creative engagement are the building blocks of community, connection and place.
- Goods and service sales form the lion’s share of revenue in both the broad cultural and creative industries and for not-for-profits with a cultural purpose.
- Government investment and philanthropic support play important enabling and stabilising roles.
- Government investment in arts and culture is not keeping pace with population growth
- Local governments’ contribution to total cultural funding by government has decreased in recent years, to 24%.
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