Thank you so much to everyone who signed and shared this petition. Your voices matter. We’ve now received a formal response from the Minister for Industry and Science.
It is blatantly clear that the core message of our petition has been overlooked. The letter offers a list of previously announced programs and passes responsibility to state governments, but fails to deliver any meaningful or new federal support for our sector.
It reads like a generic reply, not a real engagement with the lived experiences and struggles of creative workers across Australia.
You can read the full nonsensical reply below.
We’re disappointed – but we are not giving up!
Petition Reference: EN6054
Dear Ms Bonner
Thank you for your correspondence of 23 January 2025 regarding your e-petition EN6054. I appreciate your passion for and commitment to Australia’s creative industries.
The Australian Government recognises the value of the creative and cultural industries to the Australian economy and the importance of artistic expression. The government’s National Cultural Policy – Revive: a place for every story, a story for every place – supports Australia’s arts, entertainment and cultural sector.
Revive is a 5-year plan to renew and revive Australia’s arts, entertainment and cultural sector. The policy’s vision is for a society in which each of us has access to, and can participate in, diverse and vibrant cultural experiences. The government is providing over $286 million in dedicated new funding for the sector.
The government has also introduced a range of other measures which are relevant to Australia’s creative industries. These include the Digital Games Tax Offset, which offers a 30 per cent tax incentive for qualifying Australian digital games expenditure; and an increase in the Location Offset rebate rate from 16.5 per cent to 30 per cent, to attract large-budget screen productions to Australia. The Producer Offset and the Post, Digital and Visual Effects Offset also provide support for the Australian screen production sector.
In addition, the Australian Government’s National Reconstruction Fund (NRF) will invest up to $15 billion in projects that diversify and transform Australia’s industry and economy. The NRF will provide loans, guarantees and equity to support projects across seven priority areas of the economy, including value-add in the agriculture, forestry and fisheries sector; value-add in resources; transport; medical science; renewables and low emissions technologies; defence capability; and enabling capabilities. While the creative sector is not explicitly included in the NRF, some activities may be eligible under the enabling capabilities priority area, depending on the nature of the project.
More broadly, state and territory governments are responsible for funding and delivering industry development and business support activities to a wide range of industries, including the creative sector. I encourage you to engage with relevant state and territory agencies to understand what programs may be available.
Thank you for raising this matter with me.
Yours sincerely,
The Hon Ed Husic MP
Minister for Industry and Science