4172.0 - Arts and Culture in Australia: A Statistical Overview, 2008 (Second Edition)  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 22/10/2008   
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GOVERNMENT FUNDING

In 2006-07, government funding for cultural activities totalled $5,613.5m, with state and territory governments providing almost half (47% or $2,628.8m), the Australian Government contributing 34% ($1,901.0m), and local government making up the balance of 19% ($1,083.7m).

Recurrent expenditure accounted for 90% of cultural funding by all levels of government in 2006-07, while funding for capital expenditure accounted for the remaining 10%.

Apart from direct funding, the Australian Government also provides assistance through tax concessions such as the Cultural Gifts Program, which offers tax deductions to encourage the donation of items of cultural significance to public art galleries, museums and libraries. According to the 2006-07 Annual Report of the former Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts (DCITA) (now the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy), 596 donations were made to the program in that year with a total value of $33.4m.

In 2006-07, the majority of Australian Government cultural funding supported Arts activities ($1,432.6m or 75% of total Australian Government funding). Broadcasting and film was the main beneficiary receiving over half of the total cultural funding provided ($1,168.4m or 61%).

In contrast, state and territory governments directed the majority of their funding to Heritage activities ($2,112.2m or 80%) in 2006-07. Nature parks and reserves received $1,086.8m, representing 41% of the total state and territory government funding for cultural activities.

4.1 CULTURAL FUNDING BY LEVEL OF GOVERNMENT - 2006-07
Value of funding
Percentage of total
$m
%
Australian Government(a)
Heritage
Art museums
47.2
0.8
Other museums
209.5
3.7
Nature parks and reserves
74.6
1.3
Zoological parks, aquaria and botanic gardens
7.3
0.1
Libraries and archives
129.8
2.3
Total heritage
468.4
8.3
Arts
Literature and print media
25.0
0.4
Performing arts
124.0
2.2
Performing arts venues
-
-
Visual arts and crafts
29.3
0.5
Broadcasting and film
1 168.4
20.8
Community cultural centres and activities
15.7
0.3
Administration of culture
33.5
0.6
Other arts n.e.c.
36.7
0.7
Total arts
1 432.6
25.5
Total Australian Government
1 901.0
33.9
State and territory government
Heritage
Art museums
187.4
3.3
Other museums
310.7
5.5
Nature parks and reserves
1 086.8
19.4
Zoological parks, aquaria and botanic gardens
141.5
2.5
Libraries and archives
385.7
6.9
Total heritage
2 112.2
37.6
Arts
Literature and print media
6.5
0.1
Performing arts
132.4
2.4
Performing arts venues
132.0
2.4
Visual arts and crafts
26.1
0.5
Broadcasting and film
73.6
1.3
Community cultural centres and activities
19.9
0.4
Administration of culture
73.5
1.3
Other arts n.e.c.
52.7
0.9
Total arts
516.7
9.2
Total state and territory government
2 628.8
46.8
Local government(b)
Libraries
619.7
11.0
Total local government
1 083.7
19.3
Total
5 613.5
100.0
- nil or rounded to zero (including null cells)
(a) The Australian Government refers to the federal government. It does not refer to the aggregate of state and territory governments, nor does it include local government.
(b) More detailed estimates of local government funding of arts and cultural activities are unavailable.
Source: ABS, Cultural Funding by Government, Australia, 2006-07 (cat. no. 4183.0).


The Australian Government and state and territory governments have continued to increase the amount of funding towards cultural activities however, the increases were less between 2005-06 and 2006-07 than for the previous period (2004-05 to 2005-06). Australian Government funding increased by 0.2% (compared with 8% during the previous period) and state and territory government funding increased by 2% (compared with the previous annual increase of 10%). The largest percentage increase of cultural funding over the period 2005-06 to 2006-07 was at the local government level, with an 8% increase

4.2 CULTURAL FUNDING - 2003-04 to 2006-07
Graph: 4.2 Cultural Funding—2003–04 to 2006–07








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