2016-02-07
Senator LUDLAM: We still net them out? Thank you. That was then, this is now. You have had to revise everything back to a four-year operational funding program. How much are you now looking to invest?
Mr Grybowski: Again, the round figure is $27 million less in that funding envelope.
Senator LUDLAM: So from $50 million, we are down to $23 million, roughly?
Mr Grybowski: The difference is there is a transition year as we move then, because we honour the agreements of the current key organisations. It will level out. But overall it is down to-just one second; I will confer to save taking the question on notice-a $17 million decrease.
Senator LUDLAM: You said $27 million before.Mr Grybowski: Yes. Sorry.Senator LUDLAM: If you like, so as not to tie us up because the clock is running down, if you are able to table the figures that we have traversed, if you want to be exact, and break them out for me so that I can see where the different pieces are coming from.
Mr Grybowski: Certainly.
Senator LUDLAM: That would clarify that.
Answer: The Australia Council supports small to medium arts organisations in a range of ways, including through multi-year operational program funding, project funding and sector capacity building initiatives. In 2014-15, $23.1 million in multi-year funding for small to medium arts organisations was provided through the Key Organisations program.
In 2015-16 the Australia Council is providing $22.4 million in existing funding agreement commitments for the current 147 Key Organisations, which are being honoured until their conclusion in December 2016. Funding through the Four Year Funding for Organisations program, which replaces the Key Organisations program, will commence in January 2017.In the 2015-16 Budget there was a $31.5 million reduction in funding for the Australia Council over three budget measures, including:
A $27.7 million reduction as part of the transfer of funds to the Ministry for the Arts for the establishment of the National Program for Excellence in the Arts (now referred to as Catalyst), funding for Creative Partnerships Australia's matched funding program, and the transfer of Festivals Australia, Visions of Australia and the Major Festivals Initiative to be administered by the Ministry for the Arts.
A $1.8 million reduction applied to the ArtStart, Capacity Building Program and Artists in Residence Program. Please refer to the response to QoN 45 for more information on Artists in Residence.
An initial $2.0 million reduction in 2015-16 for establishment of the Book Council of Australia.
The measures announced in the 2015-16 Budget reduced the Council's appropriation to $184.5 million, compared with an appropriation of $211.7 million in 2014-15, and will continue over the forward estimates period.
Funding administered through the Major Performing Arts (MPA) Framework and Visual Arts and Craft Strategy, which are both agreed funding frameworks with the states and territories, and targeted Government programs including Playing Australia and the Contemporary Music Touring Program have been quarantined from the 2015-16 Budget measures. In 2015-16, $107.7 million of the Council's expenditure will be delivered through the MPA Framework, and $14.9 million through other Government initiatives.
The Australia Council has undertaken significant planning and modelling following the 2015-16 Budget measures to effectively deliver the forecast $40.8 million in remaining funds available for the Council's peer assessed grant programs, multi-year operational program funding for small tomedium arts organisations, capacity building, strategic projects, international and national market and audience development, research, analysis and data collection.
At the funding levels outlined in the 2015-16 Budget, Council expected to invest approximately $16 million through the Four Year Funding for Organisations program from 2016-17. Following the announcement of the partial return of funding from the Ministry for the Arts on 20 November 2015, the Australia Council has announced that it will invest approximately$22 million in the Four Year Funding for Organisations program in 2016-17.
This figure is forecast and dependent on the amount of funding to be delivered through the Australia Council's other grant programs and strategic initiatives. In addition to the Four Year Funding for Organisations program, approximately $25 million will be available for Australia Council grants and strategic national and international initiatives in 2016-17. This is compared to$33.7 million in 2014-15. These estimates are based on the Australia Council's current modelling, and exact figures for each grant category will be finalised in response to applications received through Council's funding programs.