Funding Support for the Australia Council

Senator LUDLAM: Do you have a sense of the additional money that those companies are then able to generate throughout that investment? For every dollar of taxpayers' funding that goes to the small and medium sector, how much-

Mr Grybowski: I will take that question on notice. We obviously gather that data in terms of their other leveraged funding and the income of the government funding et cetera. I will get back to you with the specific figure.

Senator LUDLAM: Tell me if I am off beam here rather than sending you off down a rabbit hole, but my reading of your 2013 annual report was that it was $133 million. I do not know if we are now comparing like with like in terms of financial years. But that would be a ratio of about six
to one. Does that sound roughly within the order of magnitude?

Mr Grybowski: It sounds like it includes the major performing arts companies. I can easily provide you with a breakdown of-

Senator LUDLAM: I would appreciate that. I am trying to net the major companies out, obviously.

Mr Grybowski: Right.

Senator LUDLAM: And have them disaggregated. How much was the council planning to invest in its new six-year funding program before the cuts were announced in May?

Answer:

The Australia Council currently provides multi-year program funding to 145 small to medium arts organisations and two Territory Orchestras, which are known as Key Organisations. In 2014, these organisations leveraged 95 cents for each $1 of government funding.

Prior to the 2015-16 Budget, the Australia Council planned to invest a minimum of $22 million through the Six Year Funding for Organisations program, consistent with the level of multi-year program funding provided to small to medium arts organisations in previous years.