Inquiry into Local Government Funding and Fiscal Sustainability

House of Representatives Standing Committee on Regional Development, Infrastructure and Transport – Inquiry into Local Government Funding and Fiscal Sustainability.

Direct funding from all three levels of government is a crucial source of revenue for Australia’s cultural and creative industries. All levels of government in Australia invest across a diverse range of arts and cultural activities that contribute to the cultural life of the nation. The most recent Cultural Funding by Government (CFG) data shows that investment in arts and culture by all three levels of government increased to $8.6 billion in 2023-24, up from $8.3 billion in 2021-22 (when adjusted for inflation). In 2023-24, local governments represented 25% of total cultural funding.

All levels of Australian governments can act now to make the most of this cultural investment by pursuing opportunities for stronger collaboration, enabling the arts and culture system and producing better data for confident decision-making.