SUPPORTING REGIONAL ARTS, RADIO AND TELEVISION CONTENT

The 2004-05 Federal Budget provides significant new funds for arts programmes and local ABC programming in regional Australia.

This reflects the Australian Government's continuing commitment to regional communities having access to arts and television and radio content that reflects their interests.

ABC Programming

An additional $54.4 million will be provided over three years from July 2005 for the ABC's Regional and Local Programming (RLP) initiative.

This extra funding will allow the ABC to continue to develop regional and local programming across all its media platforms, provide employment opportunities in regional communities and provide additional content in areas such as business, finance, children's and educational programming.

The funding is a continuation of the $71.2 million provided to the ABC in the 2001-02 Budget in response to the broadcaster's proposed 'National Interest Initiatives'.

Regional Arts Fund

The Australian Government's Regional Arts Fund will receive $10.7 million over four years to continue to support sustainable cultural development across regional Australia.

The fund provides opportunities for communities in regional, rural and remote areas to participate in cultural projects.

The continuation of the programme will provide opportunities for many local arts communities across regional Australia to build on successes achieved over the last three years, with more than 1000 projects funded since the programme was introduced in 1996.

Art Indemnity Australia

Art Indemnity Australia (AIA), the Australian Government's scheme to indemnify high quality cultural exhibitions, will receive extra funding of $6.1 million over four years to meet higher insurance costs.

This additional funding for AIA will ensure that all Australians are able to access significant cultural material including art, antiquities and scientific objects, with some exhibitions to tour to regional areas.

Since its creation in 1979, AIA has indemnified 92 exhibitions valued at more than $9.5 billion to a combined audience of more than 19 million and it has supported the National Gallery of Australia's Out and About touring exhibition.

Australia Council funding

The Australia Council for the Arts, the Australian Government's principal arts funding and advisory body, will receive new triennial funding of $398 million over three years, as well as additional funding of $10 million over five years.

The additional $10 million will be used to support arts organisations, assist in the expansion of international markets for Australian artists and for the production of high quality music recordings through support to the Melba Foundation.

Australia Council funding supports artists and arts organisations, including those in regional Australia, to pursue artistic excellence, to take advantage of opportunities to improve and develop their skills, and to tour and promote their work to wider audiences.

By promoting cultural activities in regional areas, the Australia Council increases opportunities for regional artists to undertake professional development and strengthens community involvement and participation in the arts.

Playing Australia

The Australian Government's national performing arts touring programme, Playing Australia, will receive an additional $2 million a year in the Federal Budget.

This takes Playing Australia's base funding to around $5.8 million per year and gives all Australians better access to some of the country's best performing arts.

Under this program, the Government provides assistance to performing arts organisations to expand their touring activities, help venues and locally based organisers to host touring activities, and to encourage producers of particularly innovative and quality programmes to tour their work across Australia.