introduction To speak of Australian culture is to recognise our common heritage. It is to say that we share ideas, values, sentiments and traditions, and that we see in all the various manifestations of these what it means to be Australian. Culture, then, concerns identity - the identity of the nation, communities and individuals. We seek to preserve our culture because it is fundamental to our understanding of who we are. It is the name we go by, the house in which we live. Culture is that which gives us a sense of ourselves. Culture, therefore, also concerns self-expression and creativity. Not only do we seek to preserve our heritage and tradition, we cultivate them. We preserve the things that make us what we are and cultivate the means of reaching what we can be. We recognise that the life of the nation and all our lives are richer for an environment in which art and ideas can flourish, and in which all can share in the enjoyment of them. With a cultural policy we recognise our responsibility to foster and preserve such an environment. We recognise that the ownership of a heritage and identity, and the means of self-expression and creativity, are essential human needs and essential to the health of society. Because culture reflects and serves both the collective and the individual need, because it at once assures us of who we are and inspires us with intimations of the heights we might reach, this cultural policy pursues the twin goals of democracy and excellence. It will make the arts and our intellectual and cultural life and heritage more accessible to all. And it will help to create the conditions under which the finest expressions of our creativity can be reached and enjoyed. The ultimate aim of this cultural policy is to enrich the people of Australia. This is the first national cultural policy in our country's history, but if that suggests a lack of will in the past, there was never a lack of interest. The debate goes back to the foundations of European settlement. Colonial Australians generally equated cultural goals with the successful transplantation of British civilisation to Australia; with the creation of 'a new Britannia in another world', in the famous words of William Charles Wentworth. This refrain continued well into this century, of course, but it has had to share the stage with the distinctly Australian voice that emerged with the birth of the nation 100 years ago. The works of writers and artists, like Lawson and Furphy, Roberts and Streeton, offered an Australian perspective of Australian life - a distinct set of values and views reflecting a distinctly Australian experience. Broadly speaking, debate about the culture of Australia has followed the same lines throughout this century. At the extremes there have been outbursts of fervent Anglophilia and rampant jingoism. For years we endured what A.A. Phillips called the 'cultural cringe' - the belief that nothing Australian should be considered of cultural value until it has been approved in London, or perhaps New York - and its no less excruciating opposite, the cultural strut - the belief that little of cultural value is produced outside Australia, and even less is 'relevant'. Neither position is edifying or helpful. The destructive effects are real ones. A polarised debate is always debilitating, and when talented Australians drew the conclusion that their own country was a cultural desert, and packed their bags for Europe, the loss to our national life was incalculable. This cultural policy comes at the end of our first century of nationhood. At one level it might be viewed as a declaration that the 'cringe' and the 'strut' are both over for good. The policy is delivered with every hope that in the twenty-first century talented Australians will never feel obliged to leave their country behind. In recent years we have learned that there is much to gain and little to fear from being open to the world. It is as true of the culture as it is of the economy. In fact the meeting of imported and home-grown cultures has massively enriched us. Relatively few manifestations of the old xenophobia and insecurity remain. Multicultural Australia - a society which is both diverse and tolerant of diversity, which actively encourages diversity - is one of our great national achievements. It is important to remember that the achievement was built upon the traditional democratic strengths of Australian society - and these should never be neglected. That is one reason why the Government is keen to see far greater understanding of our institutions, history and traditions. With the Civics Expert Group we have begun this process. At the same time as we encourage cultural pluralism, we want to encourage among all Australians a deeper appreciation of our heritage and with it a deep attachment to Australia. Contemporary, multicultural, urban Australia draws on a much more complex web of traditions and looks towards a wider world than Henry Lawson could ever have imagined. But the values with which his generation is associated, like the literature and art of his time, have not faded. In countless ways they remain defining features of the Australian cultural landscape. It is not only from these international and local sources that the riches have come. As never before we now recognise the magnificent heritage of the oldest civilisation on earth - the civilisation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. In literature, art, music, theatre and dance, the indigenous culture of Australia informs and enriches the contemporary one. The culture and identity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians has become an essential element of Australian identity, a vital expression of who we all are. The lesson is that, so long as we are assured about the value of our own heritage and talents, we have nothing to fear from being open to other cultural influences. Yet many Australians say that just now Australian culture is under unprecedented threat. And they have good cause for saying it. The revolution in information technology and the wave of global mass culture potentially threatens that which is distinctly our own. In doing so it threatens our identity and the opportunities this and future generations will have for intellectual and artistic growth and self-expression. The measures we have taken in this cultural policy are substantially designed to meet this challenge, and ensure that what used to be called a cultural desert does not become a sea of globalised and homogenised mediocrity. That is why we must address the information revolution and the new media not with fear and loathing, but with imagination and wit. We have to see the extraordinary opportunities for enjoyment and creativity it contains. We have to embrace it as we embraced the cultural diversity which post-war immigration delivered to us, recognising that we can turn the remarkable power of this new technology to a democratic and creative cultural purpose. It can inform us and enrich us. It can generate new realms of creative opportunity. We have to engage with it and put the stamp of Australia on it. That is the principal reason why the Government this year linked the portfolios of Communications and the Arts, and why a significant part of this document is concerned with the revolution that is already changing our lives. The ultimate aim of this cultural policy is to increase the comfort and enjoyment of Australian life. It is to heighten our experience and add to our security and well-being. In that it pursues similar ends to any social policy. By shoring up our heritage in new or expanded national institutions and adapting technology to its preservation and dissemination, by creating new avenues for artistic and intellectual growth and expression and by supporting our artists and writers, we enable ourselves to ride the wave of global change in a way that safeguards and promotes our national culture. This cultural policy is also an economic policy. Culture creates wealth. Broadly defined, our cultural industries generate 13 billion dollars a year. Culture employs. Around 336,000 Australians are employed in culture-related industries. Culture adds value, it makes an essential contribution to innovation, marketing and design. It is a badge of our industry. The level of our creativity substantially determines our ability to adapt to new economic imperatives. It is a valuable export in itself and an essential accompaniment to the export of other commodities. It attracts tourists and students. It is essential to our economic success. This is the first Commonwealth cultural policy in our history. It is long overdue. In July 1992 the Commonwealth Government appointed a panel of eminent Australians to advise on the formulation of a Commonwealth cultural policy. Creative Nation owes much to their work. A preamble to the cultural policy was prepared by the Panel prior to the last election. It is here reprinted. preamble Democracy is the key to cultural value the future of australian culture There has probably never been a better time than the present to re-assess our national cultural policy. Australia, like the rest of the world, is at a critical moment in its history. Here, as elsewhere, traditional values and ideologies are in flux and the speed of global economic and technological change has created doubt and cynicism about the ability of national governments to confront the future. What is distinctively Australian about our culture is under assault from homogenised international mass culture. Ironically, our culture has never been more vital than it is now. At every level of society, Australians are engaged in cultural activities that are helping to re-invent the national identity, and most Australians would agree on the need to enhance and enrich our culture. To achieve this, cultural policy must enter the mainstream of federal policy-making. what is australian culture? Culture arises from the community, even when the community may not be fully aware of it. It encompasses our entire mode of life, our ethics, our institutions, our manners and our routines, not only interpreting our world but shaping it. The most highly developed and imaginative aspects of our culture are the arts and sciences which are fed back to the community by the most talented individuals. For too many years, Australia's most gifted artists and writers had to seek recognition overseas. This has changed. Over the past 25 years, Australian culture - now an exotic hybrid - has flourished. Enlightened government support for the arts, an equally enlightened migration policy, a growing respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, the now common experience of overseas travel, the expansion of education opportunities and the global awareness created by the electronic media have all contributed to this change. Also important is the growing awareness that our culture possesses unique attributes. For cultural policy-makers, however, there remains a dilemma. Australian notions of egalitarianism and fair play are at odds with the idea of encouraging, let alone honouring, the talented few at the expense of the many, especially in an era of cultural and moral relativism and cultural commercialisation. At risk in these circumstances is the very concept of quality, along with the belief in the manifold and enduring benefits that might flow to a society that is exacting in its cultural standards and generous in its recognition of excellence. It is time for government to elevate culture on the political agenda, to recognise that it has a natural place in the expectations of all Australians. In the light of this, it is important to assert that: ù culture is the expression of a society's aesthetic, moral and spiritual values, indeed of its understanding of the world and of life itself; ù culture transmits the heritage of the past and creates the heritage of the future; ù culture is a measure of civilisation, at its best, enhancing and ennobling human existence; and ù in the Australian context, implicit in our use of the word 'culture' is the value we attach to expressions of a recognisably Australian 'spirit'. How might the Commonwealth enable Australian culture to flourish and Australian artists and writers of all kinds to excel? How might we celebrate and make the greatest use of the cultural assets of the nation? How might we best offer everyone access to the richness of our culture and enable young Australians to discover and realise their creative potential? Some of the key disseminators of culture - education, broadcasting, tourism, international affairs - fall outside the portfolio of the Minister for the Arts, but a cultural policy must extend to all areas of government. We need to ensure that all Commonwealth agencies consider the cultural implications of their policies and that the Government accepts its responsibility for creating an environment in which culture may flourish. So intricately is culture interwoven into the fabric of our life, so sensitive is it to government policies in all areas, so crucial is it to our national and our personal sense of identity, that the Panel is unanimous in recommending: ù a new Ministry of Culture to include both the Arts and Broadcasting; and ù recognition of the Cultural Ministry at Cabinet level. charter of cultural rights We recommend the Government's commitment to a charter of 'Cultural Rights' that guarantees all Australians: ù the right to an education that develops individual creativity and appreciation of the creativity of others; ù the right of access to our intellectual and cultural heritage; ù the right to new intellectual and artistic works; and ù the right to community participation in cultural and intellectual life. cultural policy advisory panel Left to right: Jill Kitson, Bruce Petty, Leo Schofield , Michael Leslie, Jennifer Kee, Peter Spearritt, Rodney Hall AM, Thea Astley AO. (Absent: Gillian Armstrong AM and Graeme Murphy AM) 8 February 1993 The Commonwealth Government sincerely thanks the members of the Panel for their generous assistance. the commonwealth's role in australian cultural development Few would maintain that governments can or should create cultures or national identities. The creation of Australian culture and an Australian identity has been, and will be, the work of Australians themselves through what they do in their everyday lives, as communities and as individuals (whether it be as writers, workers in industry, farmers, parents or citizens). What is 'distinctly Australian' is what we create out of that unique combination of factors that derives from our inheritance, our environment and our position in the world. This includes an indigenous culture, both ancient and continuing; a British cultural legacy (imprinted through language, the law and our institutions); the diverse inheritances of immigrant groups; the distinct experiences of class and region and the impact of place. We are genuinely and distinctly 'multi-cultural' with meanings that extend beyond ethnic diversity. The Prime Minister said on 10 July 1992: The Commonwealth's responsibility to maintain and develop Australian culture means, among many other things, that on a national level; ù innovation and ideas are perpetually encouraged; ù self-expression and creativity are encouraged; ù our heritage is preserved as more develops; and ù all Australians have a chance to participate and receive - that we invigorate the national life and return its product to the people. Commonwealth Governments have long taken the view that they have a responsibility to preserve the national heritage and cultivate the arts. Over the years, the Commonwealth has established national cultural institutions and provided varying degrees of support for creative artists and organisations. The Commonwealth Literary Fund, for instance, was established as early as 1908; Film Australia's origins date back to 1911; and the Commonwealth Art Advisory Board was created in 1912. Governments and individuals of all political complexions have made significant contributions to Commonwealth support for the arts. Among the most significant interventions was John Gorton's when, in 1968, he created the Australian Council for the Arts - which in 1973 became the Australia Council. Since then, the role of the Commonwealth has expanded dramatically. In 1994-95, through the Department of Communications and the Arts, direct Commonwealth expenditure is estimated to be over one billion dollars. Additional funding for Australian cultural development is provided through other portfolios, including Foreign Affairs and Trade; Employment, Education and Training; Prime Minister and Cabinet; and Environment, Sport and Territories. The cultural portfolio includes a dozen agencies and statutory authorities. A variety of mechanisms are employed to achieve the Commonwealth's objectives. These include, for example, limited investment and loans programs requiring high levels of private sector participation, such as the Film Finance Corporation; an indemnification scheme which assists exhibitions to the value of $500 million to tour; the Public Lending Right Scheme, which compensates the creators of works used in public libraries; and programs which fund companies and individuals directly, such as the Australia Council and the Australian Film Commission. The Government fulfils its responsibilities through various means: direct Commonwealth expenditure; indirect support through the taxation system; partnerships with other levels of government, communities and the private sector; and legislative and regulatory provisions, such as protection of intellectual property through copyright, and local content requirements for radio and television. commonwealth financial support for cultural activities (1994-95 budget) Through the Communications and the Arts Portfolio, Commonwealth expenditure is estimated to be more than one billion dollars in 1994-95. This includes funding of $515.1 million to the ABC and $75.7 million to the SBS. Funding of $117.1 million has been provided to the Australian Cultural Development Office (ACDO) for 1994-95. ACDO provides policy advice to the Minister for Communications and the Arts on Australian culture; liaises with cultural bodies and coordinates cultural activities with other agencies; and administers a number of financial assistance programs aimed at enhancing and encouraging the development of Australian culture. Funding is provided to the national collections institutions for operating and capital costs through this portfolio. For 1994-95 budget allocations are estimated to be $33.2 million for the National Library of Australia, $19.1 million for the National Gallery of Australia, $9.1 million for the National Film and Sound Archive,; $13.5 million for the Australian National Maritime Museum, $30.5 million for the Australian Archives, and $6.2 million for the National Museum of Australia. Assistance to the film industry is provided through direct funding to the Australian Film Commission ($18.7 million in 1994-95) and the Australian Film, Television and Radio School ($10.7 million in 1994-95). Funds are also provided in the ACDO budget to the Film Finance Corporation ($54 million in 1994-95), Film Australia ($6.4 million in 1994-95) and the Australian Children's Television Foundation ($2.1 million in 1994-95). Financial support to the arts is dominated by funding to the Australia Council of $59.2 million in 1994-95. Funding is also provided through the ACDO budget to The Australian Opera ($7.4 million in 1994-95), the National Institute of Dramatic Art ($3.1 million in 1994-95) and the Australian Ballet School ($0.6 million in 1994-95) Funding is provided to the National Science and Technology Centre ($4.9 million in 1994-95). The Government recognises that it is just one player among many in the process: indeed the Commonwealth counts among its principal roles that of encouraging greater contributions from the States, local government and private industry. In the past decade, State and Territory Governments have taken on a much larger share of the responsibility. Although the Commonwealth Government believes that it could be more effective than it presently is, the Cultural Ministers' Council has created the potential for a more comprehensive and coordinated approach to issues of cultural development. Commonwealth-State cooperation is highlighted in this statement by jointly funded new national institutions. The proportion of private sector sponsorship of the arts and humanities compared to sport has fallen substantially. The Commonwealth recognises the need to balance the equation, and create a trend towards the pattern of private benefaction which so richly endows cultural activity in some other countries, most notably the United States. The Commonwealth takes the view that responsibility for our creative life is shared, and that, not least among those who must work to develop self-reliance and self-sufficiency are the artists and their agencies and audiences. Without endorsing the view that government support tends to stultify creative output, the Commonwealth Government is determined that our cultural development will be driven as far as possible by the creative energy of individuals, groups and communities and that, wherever possible, government will not be the sole means of support for their efforts. In recognition of their essential role in our nation's life, in 1993 the Commonwealth Government made the arts a full Cabinet portfolio. Early this year the Government decided to combine the Arts and Communications portfolios, because in the modern era there are natural synergies between them. These two measures are in part the fulfilment of the Government's promise to bring cultural issues into the mainstream of our national life, and accord them their rightful place in all decision-making. This cultural policy is another major step in that direction. The Commonwealth's role in cultural development falls into five principal categories: ù nurturing creativity and excellence; ù enabling all Australians to enjoy the widest possible range of cultural experience; ù preserving Australia's heritage; ù promoting the expression of Australia's cultural identity, including its great diversity; and ù developing lively and sustainable cultural industries, including those evolving with the emergence of new technologies. In various ways, the specific initiatives described in Creative Nation embody these ambitions of the Commonwealth. australia council The Australia Council is one of this country's most important cultural resources. That arts activity and cultural industries have grown so dramatically over the 21 years of it's existence is testament to the success of Commonwealth policies in general and the Australia Council in particular. However, there are now three times as many practising artists and four times as many arts organisations as there were 20 years ago, and most rely substantially on the Council for their continued existence. It is not surprising that the Australia Council is finding it more difficult to respond to the demands placed on it by this expanding community, in an environment where funding and staffing levels, and particularly the support from non-Commonwealth sources, have failed to keep pace with client growth. The Government realises that the Council has dealt well up to now with assisting artists who practice their skills in a small market which faces intense pressure from abroad. It has achieved this success principally through its support for the creation and presentation of the arts. But it also believes that the Council, as a matter of some urgency, has to turn its attention away from the 'supply' side of the arts equation to the creation of a higher level of demand from arts consumers. It would be unfair to deny that the Council has devoted a significant proportion of its funding and energies to promoting and marketing the arts, both locally and internationally. But the Council's efforts in this area have to some extent been hamstrung. New initiatives towards new directions are constantly foundering on a lack of resources. Short-term consultancies carried out outside the Council have not been an adequate answer. The Commonwealth believes that the Council has to undergo a process of structural change to meet the new requirements of its role. It has already to some extent embarked on this process with its recent announcement of a wide-ranging review of peer assessment processes in order to streamline them and make them more flexible and suitable for future needs. The Government strongly supports this initiative on the part of the Council. It reiterates its support for arms length funding and peer assessment. But it believes that a peer assessment system which is not efficient of time and resources for both Council staff and its clients should be changed. It further believes that the process of applying for, and being assessed for, funding should be simple and transparent, so that those clients who are unsuccessful in their applications can clearly understand the reasoning behind the decision. The Australia Council should also squarely address the question of whether any change is needed to its current means of defining 'peer'. Changing the peer assessment processes will not of itself, however, be enough to equip the Council to carry out the role the Government requires of it. The Australia Council structure, which has evolved over 20 years, should be simplified in order to enable the organisation to respond more flexibly to the changing needs of the arts community. The Government believes that the Australia Council should continue to break down the existing rigidities between the art form Boards. These Boards face common problems of audience and sponsorship development, and an across Board approach is needed. The Government recognises that there has been a decline in corporate sponsorship for cultural organisations in favour of sport, a situation which is likely to be exacerbated by the forthcoming Olympic Games in Sydney in the year 2000. It is also true that those dollars which now go to cultural support flow overwhelmingly to the larger organisations. The next generation of arts funding must be a better combination of private and public, not because the Government wishes to reduce its outlays in this area - but to meet the needs of the arts community if it is to play the role we expect of it in the country's future development. Put simply, we need to move more towards the United States' approach to benefaction. The Government recognises that the Council has already begun exploring ways to encourage this process through corporate sponsorships and bequests, but it believes that the Council should be able to play a much expanded role in future, both in helping smaller organisations develop the skills base themselves and in raising general consciousness of philanthropy for the arts. The Australia Council must also concentrate on developing audiences for Australian creative work. There is much that can be done domestically. The Council must continue to work closely with schools and post-secondary education institutions. In a healthy artistic culture, those who enjoy the arts activities most, understand something of the artistic traditions within which they are embedded, and are thus better able to engage with them critically. Education has a major responsibility in this area. A cultural education system which is concerned simply with the development of the skills of artists and workers in arts industries is inadequate. Arts education must be about much more than skills formation. We require a broadly based education system that focuses on a comprehensive range of educational values stressing imagination and creativity as well as skills. Audience development must occur not only through formal education institutions but also through the parallel education system, which includes libraries, museums, historical societies, open learning and continuing education agencies, film and television and the like. Finding the mechanisms to break down the barriers which have traditionally existed between these different education systems is a challenge which the Council must meet. It is very obvious, for example, that a school audience development strategy that is oblivious to changes in youth culture is unlikely to be successful. The Government is aware that the Council is already working on its role in educational development, and looking to the possibilities that arise from utilising new approaches, such as new media, as a means of putting young people into contact with writers, painters, musicians and craftspersons. In doing so, the Australia Council can not only ensure better access to what young people may tend to think of as "high" or more often outmoded culture, but also open new and broader perspectives on the part of arts practitioners themselves. In more general terms the Australia Council should carry out the restructuring necessary to ensure that Australian artists' incomes are improved by new technologies, that Australian copyrights are exploited to the full and that Australian talent is employed in the new broadcasting technologies. It is worth remembering that the precursor to the existing body, the Australian Council for the Arts, as originally set up was designed to encourage film and television in association with other art forms. The arts are now much more interdependent than they were then. The Government believes that the Australia Council, with the accumulated knowledge from dealing with thousands of artists over the years of its existence, its skilled staff and its formidable research base, should be able to play a vital role in encouraging the translation of the arts to screen-based media. It considers that the Council should give a high priority to the process of generating Australian content for the information highway. New access to the arts should be widely developed across free-to-air and subscription based broadcasting, thereby bringing into play a much wider range of niche, specialist, educational and mass audiences. By instituting the above measures, and others which the Council is in the process of implementing already, there can be a substantial increase in domestic audience development. But we also need to look for markets for our cultural products offshore. There is at present only a minimal market for cultural exports, and this can be best addressed by developing international strategies across art forms, in co-operation with the other cultural agencies and indeed other portfolios, particularly that of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The Government believes that the Australia Council is the obvious body to develop an international cultural marketing structure that encourages cultural exchange; it does not subscribe to the theory that we need to establish a British Council look-alike, although our diplomatic posts and specialist agencies within the Foreign Affairs and Trade portfolio and other relevant portfolios will obviously continue to play their important roles. In summary then, the Government believes that the Australia Council needs to deploy an increasing amount of its resources in areas of audience development, linkages with broadcasting technologies, marketing and sponsorship stimulation and international export development. The outcome of these processes will, in the medium term, substantially impact on artists' incomes and on the well-being of the community in general. The Government is confident that the Council has the will to take up the challenge. It also recognises that will alone is not enough. The Council must also have the capacity to institute change without penalty to those whom it currently assists. The Government therefore will provide a range of measures for the Council to enable it to succeed. We have long recognised that the Council and its clients deserve to operate in an atmosphere of stability and predictability. Funding the Council on a triennial basis will provide this atmosphere for its own operations, and will enable the Council to make continuing commitments to a larger number of clients than it is currently able to do. With a greater knowledge of future funding levels, arts organisations will be able to undertake more accurate forward planning and enter into long-term and more efficient financial commitments. The Government will introduce triennial funding for the Australia Council. The Government will also honour its commitment to provide predictable and stable funding to major performing arts organisations by setting up a new board of the Council, the Major Organisations Board. This follows on from a recommendation of a joint working group from the Council and the Australian Cultural Development Office, and provides government recognition of the special requirements of major performing arts organisations as significant business enterprises. The Board will address the underlying financial difficulties of certain major companies and will obviate the need for ad hoc requests for assistance from the Government. Organisations will be included in the Board by the Council on the basis of an assessment of their national significance and their financial viability. It is anticipated that some organisations will need to receive an injection of funding to overcome current financial difficulties before they are placed within the Board. Once within the Board, the organisations will receive guaranteed funding for up to three years. They will enter into a performance agreement with the Commonwealth based on a business plan covering the period of the agreement. All organisations will be reviewed before the renewal of the agreement. The Council has already carried out some preliminary work to identify possible organisations for the new board. Membership of the Board will be announced in the near future and it is anticipated that the Council will announce which organisations will be funded by this mechanism shortly thereafter. The Government will establish a Major Organisations Board of the Australia Council While we expect the Major Organisations Board to be widely welcomed, the Government recognises that smaller organisations and individual artists would benefit considerably from a greater level of support. It has decided, therefore, to provide an increase in the base level of assistance to the Council which can be used across existing Council programs, and particularly for assistance to individual artists. By so doing, the Government will be helping both the Council and subsidised performing arts bodies to meet the cost of increased wage obligations caused by the recent arbitrated wage increase for actors and dancers. The Government will increase the Council's base funding level to provide additional assistance for individual artists. One of the most successful programs of recent years has been the Australian Artists Creative Fellowships Scheme. The Government has now agreed that the scheme be extended to include a separate component for talented young artists to receive a level of support in order to concentrate on their artistic development. While the details of the proposal will be announced shortly, it is anticipated that it will operate under a mentorship arrangement, with the number of the new junior fellowships depending on the number of the senior ones. A system of junior creative fellowships will be established to complement the existing Australian Artists Creative Fellowships Scheme. This policy has already addressed the need for the Council to develop an international marketing strategy to increase export potential. The Government will provide the Council with additional funds for this purpose. The strategy should be developed in conjunction with Austrade. The Government will fund the Council's development of an international marketing strategy. The Government will also provide additional funding to the Council to develop alternative mechanisms of funding for the arts and stimulate increased private sector support. As has been argued above, the stimulation of benefaction is an essential step in the development of the arts. The Government will fund a new Council program to develop private sponsorship of the arts. The Government proposes to transfer the operation of the Foundation for Australian Cultural Development, based in Melbourne, from the Department of Communications and the Arts to the Australia Council. As a result of the transfer the Foundation will have access to the administrative support and the arts network of the Australia Council and the opportunity to explore and develop partnerships with a wide range of cultural and humanities organisations. The Foundation will give the Council a Melbourne presence, something for which there has been support for some time. The Foundation, while located within the Council, will retain its own Board and local management. It is intended that the Foundation's goals and mode of operation will resemble - albeit only in the broadest sense - those of the American Endowment for the Humanities. The Foundation will gather more effectively into the cultural development of the nation the knowledge and talents of the humanities and the social sciences. It will initiate and support projects of national significance, including multi-disciplinary projects such as those between film-makers and historians. It will also stimulate private sector sponsorship for projects and for individual scholars and artists, and encourage partnerships between the corporate and public spheres. As such, it will provide a linking framework between key agencies (libraries, universities, heritage), the public and private sectors and communities. The Foundation's aim will be to extend Australians' understanding of their own country and its future. It will play a particularly important creative role in the preparation of 2001 celebrations. The Council will assume responsibility for the Foundation for Australian Cultural Development. These new measures will, in the Government's view, make for a dynamic and progressive Australia Council which is equipped to meet the challenges confronting the arts as we move towards the next century. An organisation with a task such as this requires its chief officer to devote full-time attention to its operation. The Government, therefore, will in future make the position of Chair of the Australia Council a full-time executive position. The Government will establish the Chair of the Australia Council as a full-time executive position. commonwealth support for the arts Through funding the arts the Commonwealth pursues the following objectives: ù the creation and realisation, through performance, broadcasting, publishing and display, of original Australian creative product; ù excellence in artistic practice; ù the widest enjoyment of the arts, and the widest involvement in them; ù reflection through the arts of the riches of multicultural society; and ù ensuring that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture is sustained through the preservation of cultural traditions and the development of contemporary cultural expression by Australia's indigenous people. These aims are promoted through: ù direct funding of the arts; ù developing legislation on copyright and related rights which will encourage creativity and investment; ù creating the conditions which will allow the arts and cultural industries, where possible, to achieve sustainability and to integrate cultural and economic life; ù taxation and other incentives to encourage private sector funding of the arts through investment and other support; and ù ensuring that development in the cultural sector keeps pace with developments in communications technology. As artists gain access to new tools and media for creating art, existing art forms will expand and develop, and conventional boundaries between art forms will tend to blur. Projects which integrate the live arts with other technologies, such as video and film, are expected to become more commonplace in the near future. performing arts aboriginal and torres strait islander performing arts The expression, development and preservation of unique indigenous art forms and cultural heritage is fundamental to the emergence of a contemporary Australian cultural identity. Indigenous art forms must be protected and allowed to flourish. They need specific support from the Government, which cannot be provided through the existing national training institutions. The National Islander Skills Development Association (NAISDA) was founded in Sydney in the early 1970s and has always been known as a creative and dynamic organisation. It consists of two components - the NAISDA College and the Aboriginal Islander Dance Theatre (AIDT) - and is primarily devoted to dance. NAISDA training has provided cultural protection as well as employment. Many graduates have found employment as professional dancers, arts administrators, and in the fields of general production and vocational training. The performance arm, AIDT, became an active group in the late 1970s, and is now a professional dance ensemble, well-known in Australia and overseas, with a repertoire based on both traditional and contemporary dance styles. NAISDA and AIDT have played a vital role in preserving and developing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dance and indigenous cultures in general. However, their undoubted success over 19 years has been hampered by inadequate resources and facilities which are inappropriate to their worth and jeopardise their companies' future. One of the measures announced by the Prime Minister in Distinctly Australian was that the Government would 'examine the possibility of raising the status of NAISDA as a national performing arts and training organisation'. This examination by an expert Committee is now complete and after consideration of the report, the Government accepts its finding of the need for such an organisation. With the assistance of the Queensland Government, the Commonwealth will establish a national centre of training excellence for Australian indigenous performing arts. It will provide $14.45 million over four years to establish, in Brisbane, the Australian National Institute for Indigenous Performing Arts. The Institute will be a national centre of youth training excellence of the same status as other Commonwealth portfolio agencies such as the National Institute of Dramatic Art (NIDA), the Australian Film, Television and Radio School (AFTRS) and the Australian Ballet School. The NAISDA report recommended that the Institute be housed in purpose-built premises. However, given the substantial capital costs involved in that approach, the Institute will be housed in leased, refurbished premises. The Government notes the committee's recommendation that the new body be located in Sydney, but believes that its placement in Brisbane is appropriate, given that a number of NAISDA students and AIDT performers are from remote communities in Queensland and the Northern Territory. It is anticipated that more students from these areas will be drawn to the upgraded facilities and training opportunities. Placing the centre in Queensland conforms with the Government's policy of locating new national enterprises throughout the country in cooperative ventures with State and Territory Governments. The Government shares the view of the expert committee that this initiative is a significant step in the reconciliation process, which includes the recognition of the importance of indigenous arts and cultural traditions to the whole of Australia. It is also timely in other ways. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts are assuming increasing significance for Australia, in tourism and the projection of Australian culture overseas. Surveys have found that nearly half of all international visitors to Australia are interested in seeing and learning about Australia's indigenous culture. Surveys have also found that the employment demand for performing artist graduates is greater than the supply. Many existing performing arts training institutions throughout Australia succeed in attracting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander enrolments and it is hoped this will continue. However, the Government believes the Institute will offer a special environment for indigenous Australians to engage in training that draws on their own cultural traditions and values. The Institute will retain a strong focus on dance, which has been a key element of its program, but it will be extended to include training in drama, music, stage management and arts promotion. Joint arrangements with other institutions will be encouraged to assist in the broadened curriculum. Partnerships are envisaged with institutions such as NIDA, the AFTRS, the Queensland College of Art and arts academies within the post-secondary system. The expanded program will be initiated over three to five years, following detailed discussions with appropriate organisations and members of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander arts community. The Government recognises that there remains a degree of uncertainty about the indigenous culture funding responsibilities of Commonwealth agencies. The Minister for Communications and the Arts and the Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs are addressing this matter, and will consult relevant organisations and individuals as part of that process. access to the performing arts The Commonwealth provides support for the performing arts to bring to all Australians high quality theatre, opera, music and dance through: ù funding companies of national importance and individual artists of excellence to develop and present the best performances; ù its national training institutions; and ù providing access to this work through the national broadcasters and by using new technologies where appropriate. Playing Australia Bringing the arts to Australians wherever they live is a major priority of this Government. In 1992-93 Playing Australia, the national performing arts touring program, was established to give more Australians access to high quality performing arts, by enabling performing arts companies to tour a wide range of productions including those which could not be guaranteed to be commercially practicable. In less than two years Playing Australia has brought productions of world standard to audiences in Darwin, Broome, regional Tasmania, North Queensland and many other communities. Audiences in the capital cities have also been able to experience some of the dynamic work being created in regional areas. Playing Australia is designed to encourage new levels of cooperation between performing arts companies in different States and Territories and regional areas, and to create new networks and partnerships for the future. The Government believes that a decentralised approach to professional theatre has worked well in Australia. There is significant cooperation between the main State companies. A pilot scheme, supported by Playing Australia, has enabled the Confederation of State Theatres to present works from their own seasons as part of a subscription season in Perth, Canberra and Hobart. This initiative has strong support from local presenters and State Governments and it is hoped that companies can extend these seasons to other cities in the future. It has the potential to lead to the development of a national network of theatre companies, embracing regional and local companies - a truly national theatre. The Commonwealth will continue to commit $3 million each year towards the development of performing arts touring in Australia through this program. playing australia Playing Australia provides assistance to venues and presenters, such as arts councils, performing arts centres and performing arts companies to arrange for tours to areas where this might not otherwise have been commercially practicable. The program has committed almost $5 million since January 1993 towards tours of theatre, dance, opera, circus, jazz, classical and contemporary music, performance art and puppetry which have included each State and Territory of Australia. In the first round of funding alone, approximately 200,000 Australians from over 100 towns saw over 500 performances of high quality performing arts. Without Playing Australia the majority of these tours would never have occurred. Festivals Regional centres benefit strongly from a thriving cultural sector, in terms of employment and income generation, the encouragement of tourism and the potential for earnings from sale of local goods for regional economies. Cultural activity also acts as a stimulus to regional regeneration due to its ability to draw people to particular localities. The arts help establish a creative and productive environment. Business and industry are attracted to strong, active communities, and the range of cultural activity available in a particular centre is a good measure of this. The arts provide greater opportunities to market what is individual about an area to business, industry and tourists. The Government believes that festivals are an important way of bringing the arts, audiences and whole communities together. They give communities a creative focus, help celebrate achievements and forge community identity, and are of significant assistance in generating increased tourism. They provide invaluable opportunities for marketing the arts to broader audiences and a catalyst for touring throughout the country. In recent years, established festivals such as the Bougainvillea Festival in Darwin have expanded to cover a more diverse range of creative activity, particularly for people from a non-English speaking background. Music festivals such as the Barossa Music Festival have made links with festivals at Huntingdon and Port Fairy. The Government has extended cultural access in regional Australia through Playing Australia, its performing arts touring program and Visions of Australia, its exhibition touring program. A new complementary program, designed specifically to support regional festivals, will also be established by the Government. A priority of this program will be youth festivals. The Government will provide funding for a new program called Festivals Australia, to be administered by Playing Australia, which will assist in bringing high quality arts activities to Australian regional festivals. Musica Viva in Schools Young people are already significant arts producers and consumers. It is important that during their education, in developing their imagination and creativity, they are exposed to the widest possible range of the arts, including a comprehensive program of music. The Musica Viva program, which was established in 1981, sponsors tours of live performance groups to primary and secondary schools. Musica Viva supplies schools with information and resource packages in advance of visits and maintains a continuing relationship with the schools and teachers involved. It is substantially more than a provider of one-off school concerts. The program currently operates in New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia and Tasmania, with assistance from the Commonwealth through the Australia Council, the States and private sponsorship. The program reached 300,000 young people in the last year and involved 25 musical performance groups. Following the success of this program, which provides a fine example of the sort of funding cooperation that the Government believes necessary for the arts, it is appropriate that it be extended to those States which do not currently participate. By doing so, by 1998 it will reach 500,000 young people with performances from over 50 groups. The Commonwealth will provide additional funding of $2 million to extend the current Musica Viva in Schools program to Queensland, South Australia, the ACT and the Northern Territory. Opera Opera in Australia has never been more popular than it is today. Australian artists, directors and designers have achieved prominence in world terms. The video of Baz Luhrmann's La Boheme has been the fastest selling opera on video ever to be sold in this country. Following its successful telecast in the USA, a contract has been negotiated for its release there. The tour of Baz Luhrmann's Midsummer Night's Dream to the Edinburgh Festival this year was an outstanding success. Recently, much has been done to make this art form, which it is fair to say has been thought by many to be elitist and inaccessible, available to many more Australians, especially through concerts and an extensive series of television and radio simulcasts. The partnerships established between the opera companies, the ABC and the private sector have contributed greatly to larger opera audiences. One way in which access can be improved is by enabling The Australian Opera to perform more widely throughout Australia. Because of the substantial costs involved in this exercise, the Government believes that this can only be achieved by a cooperative venture between the The Australian Opera, other opera companies and the private sector. The Government will therefore provide assistance for a consortium which will be set up by The Australian Opera and the State opera companies. This will provide an additional production each year in Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and Adelaide, plus up to 40 regional performances a year. The Commonwealth will provide $850,000 per annum for increased touring to extend access to opera to Australians in all States and Territories. The Commonwealth will also continue to support The Australian Opera's program of recordings and simulcasts and other ventures by which it extends its audience reach. Following the recent review of the budget and operations of The Australian Opera the Government will provide additional funding of $300,000 per annum to enable it to fund arbitrated wage increases for singers. The Government will provide additional base funding assistance to The Australian Opera. music Music has always formed an important part of Australians' lives, whether through listening to the radio, home entertainment, or a concert performance. Many Australian artists have achieved international success, but most have had to go overseas after their initial training in order to build their careers. Australian singers have perhaps been the most recognised of these artists in their own country. Among current successes, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, the Australian Youth Orchestra and the Australian Chamber Orchestra have also been fine ambassadors for Australian performance and Australian music. For 50 years, Musica Viva Australia has been engaged in bringing high quality ensemble music to as many Australians as possible. It is now the largest chamber music presenter in the world and continues to bring many groups and soloists of world standing to halls and schools across Australia. It has fostered the highest standards in chamber music performance by Australians and made an invaluable contribution to strengthening our cultural presence overseas. As outlined above, the Government will be providing additional assistance to Musica Viva. National Academy of Music It is estimated that there are approximately 3,800 music students enrolled in higher education institutions throughout Australia. Young Australian players are as talented as any in the world, as are our youth orchestras. However, a lack of comprehensive training and an indifferent career structure have proved major obstacles to achieving greater international standing. There has been some unwillingness by top international artists to travel to Australia and teach our most talented students. The need for better training was identified in Distinctly Australian. Funding was consequently provided to the Australian Youth Orchestra to enable advanced training for our most talented young orchestral players. Assistance was also provided for young performers in more remote areas, and those in difficult financial circumstances. The Government is now moving to the second stage of its plan to assist the development of music in Australia. This involves the establishment, in conjunction with the Victorian Government, of a National Academy of Music - a complementary training institute to NIDA, the Ballet School, the AFTRS and the new Australian National Institute for Indigenous Performing Arts. The Academy will be situated in Melbourne. It will develop highly gifted musicians to international standards and enable them to establish careers from an Australian base. The focus will be fine music, including contemporary and Australian works. The proposal involves bringing outstanding students into contact with the most distinguished national and international performers and teachers at an age when they will most benefit from it. Training will cater for the principal spheres of Australian professional music activity, in particular solo performance. Benefits will flow through to symphony orchestras, opera and chamber music ensembles. The Academy will draw on the administrative resources and facilities of the University of Melbourne and the Victorian College of the Arts. It will establish professional linkages with a range of relevant organisations including State symphony orchestras, the ABC and the SBS. It will cater for up to 40 students at any one time, some of whom may be young school-age students of outstanding promise. Courses will vary in length according to student needs. The Academy will also attract fee-paying overseas students. By providing more effective music training for outstandingly talented musical performers, the Academy will play a key role in raising the standard of Australia's orchestras, and other areas of music performance, to internationally competitive standards. The Commonwealth, in a joint venture with the Victorian Government, will establish a National Academy of Music in Melbourne as a centre of training excellence for musicians of outstanding talent. Orchestras Another major step will be to augment the resources of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and to establish it as a separate organisation. This will provide greater opportunity for it to develop to world standard and set a new benchmark for orchestral performance in Australia. The Government will transfer the Sydney Symphony Orchestra from the ABC to local control and provide significant additional funds for developing it to world standard. The ABC's six symphony orchestras are the Sydney, Melbourne, Queensland, Adelaide, West Australian and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestras. Currently managed by the Concert Music division of the ABC, they are among Australia's major performing arts organisations. The orchestras grew out of early radio broadcasting in the 1940s. Their creation early in that decade was an enlightened act at a time when there was virtually no performing arts infrastructure or funding. They have carved out a central role in Australia's cultural history. However, the Government believes that centralised control has led to some inflexibility which has inhibited the full development of our leading orchestras. Many problems of centralised control were highlighted in the Tribe report in the mid-1980s - the Study into the Future of Orchestras in Australia - which, after extensive research, advocated the decentralisation of Australia's orchestral base. Some of the problems highlighted by the Tribe report have since been addressed by the ABC through empowering local management of orchestras and raising their profile through ABC marketing. The world's finest orchestras all operate under local control, and are accountable first and foremost to their cities of residence. As the Tribe report pointed out, our aim should be 'to provide Australia with orchestras of vitality, international achievement, distinct character, and passionate community support'. The Government believes in principle that this is better achieved if the activities, responsibilities and accountability of an orchestra's live performances are seen as primarily local, distinct from performances broadcast to a national audience. Vigorous and loyal community support, increased State support and opening the door to greater private sponsorship are all crucial to an orchestra's success. Centralised management has tended to be concerned with equalising standards and programming across the country, especially for broadcasting, recording and marketing purposes. While democratic in spirit, and important in terms of maintaining the viability of orchestras in States with lower populations, this can have a flattening effect on quality, style and enthusiasm. It is time for the Sydney orchestra to be given the opportunity and freedom to excel. Existing funding for the Sydney Symphony Orchestra will be transferred from the ABC to the Australia Council and will be administered through the proposed Major Organisations Board of the Council. Following the transfer, the orchestra's funding will be guaranteed for five years in real terms. Additional funding will also be set aside from 1995-96 to increase the number of players to the international standard of 110, increase salaries, provide funds for more international quality guest artists and allow for more touring and recording ventures. This flagship orchestra will tour throughout Australia, become a major cultural export and strengthen its program of international recording. The Government will consult closely with all affected parties, including the ABC, the orchestra and union representatives, to ensure that the transfer proceeds with minimum disruption to conditions of employment or the operations of the orchestra generally. A priority will be maintaining optimum access to ABC facilities and services. It is intended that the present award conditions with orchestral musicians relating to broadcasting should be continued under any new administrative arrangements, and that the ABC, in the spirit of its Act, will continue to broadcast the orchestra's performance with comparable frequency. As outlined above, a number of reports have recommended divestment of the ABC orchestras as the best way of fostering their natural development. However, the viability of some orchestras may be more difficult to secure in the medium to long term if their status changed at this point. While all the existing orchestras will remain as major elements of the national music infrastructure, they also must have the opportunity to develop further, if necessary outside the ABC. The Government has accordingly decided that the remaining ABC orchestras may put a case to the Government for divestment if they see fit. The opera and ballet orchestras in Sydney and Melbourne also have an important role in Australian musical life through their support of the national opera and ballet companies. The Commonwealth has considerably increased the resource base of these companies following the establishment of new management structures. The increase in base grants provided by the Government will enable the orchestras to continue operations and meet the continued costs of arbitrated wage increases for musicians. The Government will provide an increase of $700 000 per annum to the base grants of the opera and ballet orchestras, to enable the orchestras to continue operations and meet the costs of arbitrated wage increases for musicians. Contemporary Music During the 1980s, Australia built up a strong international presence in contemporary music despite our relatively small domestic market. Music publishing and recording, as well as some notable touring successes, helped Australia become the third largest supplier of new English repertoire to the international market. Some estimates put export earnings at about $206 million a year. The Australian Bureau of Statistics estimated in 1991 that contemporary music in all its forms was the most popular and accessible form of cultural activity. It was estimated that 28 per cent of the Australian population and 54 per cent of 18-24 year olds attended popular music performances in 1991. In the past, the Commonwealth has supported this industry through a copyright system which assists the development of Australian product, and a broadcasting system which supports its dissemination. The Government will increase copyright protection to ensure a continued basis for growth of the contemporary music industry. In Distinctly Australian the Government undertook to examine the introduction of rental tights for recordings and to review parallel import rights. In Distinctly Australian the Government undertook to examine the introduction of rental rights for recordings and to review parallel import rights. As a result, in July 1994, Cabinet approved the introduction of rental rights for the owners of copyright in sound recording. At the same time, it approved the extension of 'anti-bootleg' rights for performers. These reforms will be enacted by 1 January 1995 and become operative during that year. To fight recording piracy the penalties in the Copyright Act will be increased to the same levels that apply to piracy of films. Piracy of music is as much a cultural abuse as it is an economic one. If piracy increases, it then follows that the development of further legitimate cultural products such as records and books is diminished. The Government, in accepting the reccomendations of the Copyright Convergence Group, will target anomalies in the Copyright Act applying to sound recordings. These have adversely affected the returns that should have properly flowed to record producers and artists. The Government will implement the recommendations of the Copyright Convergence Group to remove identified anomalies in the Copyright Act. Australian contemporary music is a significant contributor to the Australian economy with a turnover of approximately $1.5 billion annually. The Commonwealth provides support for the industry at a level of approximately $1.5 million per annum. Commonwealth programs include AUSMUSIC and the Music Industry Advisory Council (MIAC), and the Government has also provided continuing support for the Big Backyard - a promotion for Australian contemporary music through distribution of CD recordings for radio stations internationally. Export projects receive support through Export Music Australia. The Government recognises that the development of contemporary music to the level it currently enjoys is a result of the combined efforts of all participants - writers, musicians and performers, record companies, music publishers, promoters, managers and venue owners. Live venues have contributed substantially to this development, together with the recording industry. Commonwealth, State and Territory Government programs have also supplemented the industry's own efforts. The Government believes, however, that there is room for improvement in the level of coordination between Federal, State and Territory support. As a first step in this direction, it is reviewing its own programs which are delivered through the Industry, Science and Technology portfolio. This review was announced in the Government's Working Nation policy document, and will provide guidance as to the appropriate role of the Commonwealth Government in future development of the music industry. The Government is reviewing its music industry assistance schemes delivered through the Industry, Science and Technology portfolio. Following this review, the Minister for Communications and the Arts will, in conjunction with his State and Territory colleagues, convene a contemporary music summit. This will provide an opportunity for views to be expressed at a national level. The Government recognises that there is current concern that the wave of successful Australian recordings is declining. Particular concern has been expressed that government cultural agency support has favoured other musical forms over contemporary music. The summit will cover a range of music issues including proposals for schemes to support the further development of the contemporary music industry, copyright, technology, live venues, education and training and other issues. Coordination of current Commonwealth, State and Territory support mechanisms for contemporary music will also be explored. The Government will convene a contemporary music summit. literature The Whitlam Government, elected in 1972, established the Literature Board of the Australia Council to provide support to writers and publishers. Since then, over 2000 grants have been awarded by the Board through programs of grants to individual writers. During the last 20 years, too, there has been a deserved increase in critical recognition of Australian writers and their work. As a result, sales have increased substantially. Over 200 Australian novels were published in 1992 compared with 19 in 1972. The emergence of Australian dramatists has been exceptional. Australian plays generally account now for about half of theatre companies' programming, and events such as the annual Australian National Playwrights Conference bring works by emerging playwrights to the attention of professional companies and directors. The Australian publishing industry is vigorous and creative. Publishers provide the creative and coordinating link from the original creator to the marketplace and, in that sense, generate considerable direct income and employment. Australian publishing has grown through a combination of activities by a varied range of independent and multinational publishers. Over the last 15 years in particular, the overall proportion of locally created and published material has increased. There has been a gradual growth in exports of these same works. The total value of the Australian book industry in 1993 was estimated at $2 billion at retail value. The Australian publishing industry has always worked at exporting intellectual property. The industry has recently targeted Asian markets as possible destinations for Australian books, particularly in the educational field. The Government supports this focus of the publishing industry, and is working with the Australian Book Publishers Association on a research project that will give publishers information and advice on exploiting the characteristics of the different markets for books in Asia. The Government is also providing funding to bring together independent publishers from around Australia to investigate synergies, competitive advantages and economies of scale they can achieve by 'networking' on particular activities. Around 30 publishers now participate in joint activities under Publish Australia Group Enterprises (PAGE). Export projects, consolidation of domestic marketing and distribution infrastructure have been identified as major goals. A catalogue featuring 90 titles from 27 publishers has been produced and will be used for domestic marketing purposes and international rights trading. To date, members of the network have received funding and facilitation assistance from government, and administrative assistance from the Australian Book Publishers Association. Plans are under way to have all members of the network communicating on-line in the near future. It is envisaged that PAGE will be self-funding within five years. Copyright The trend to electronic publishing is gathering strength and challenging traditional product and market concepts. While technological change opens new opportunities for increased access to a wider range of cultural materials, it also presents significant challenges which could threaten the viability of Australia's writers and publishers. The Government recognises that it is likely that a major form of delivery of written material in the future may be in digital multi-media form. Even now in Australia there are educational institutions which provide materials for students which have been scanned into digital form, stored in computers and then downloaded for readers. The convergence of technologies and digital broadband technology will allow material to be transmitted internationally and manipulated without authority or payment. In the new technological and communications environment, it is no longer possible to adequately protect copyright owners or to facilitate the development of industries based around the exploitation of copyright material under the existing Act. Multi-media is a new form of work and it was acknowledged at the recent Copyright Convergence Group seminar that, as a work in its own right, it is not protected under the Copyright Act. This Statement sets out the Government's intention to examine protection of copyright in the new communications environment. Book Lending Right The Government has long held the view that Australian authors and publishers should be compensated for the loss of potential income represented by their books being borrowed free of charge. The current Public Lending Right Scheme (PLR) was introduced in 1974 to compensate eligible creators and publishers for loss of royalties on sales of books when copies of their books are available in public libraries. PLR has distributed approximately $25 million to writers and publishers. In Distinctly Australian an undertaking was given by the Government to examine the feasibility of introducing an Educational Lending Right (ELR). The Government having considered this examination has come to the conclusion that it is logical to extend PLR to educational libraries. While PLR has compensated many Australian writers and publishers, a great number of books attract no compensation for library use because they are held in the libraries of education institutions. Australian writers and publishers will now receive a fee for the use of their books in the libraries and textbook rooms of primary and secondary schools and tertiary institutions. Not only will this measure compensate writers for use of creative materials, but it will also assist in the task of making available more Australian books for Australian students. The Government will introduce Educational Lending Right in full as an extension of the existing PLR Scheme. Dance The high standards achieved by Australian dancers and dance companies, as reflected by their successes both at home and overseas, are underpinned by the Government's support for training and performance. The Government provides substantial funding, through the Australia Council, for contemporary dance. This has enabled consolidation and sustained growth by a number of outstanding companies. Playing Australia has enabled more Australians to experience outstanding dance performances and also encouraged groups in different States and Territories to work together to develop new productions. The Australian Ballet School has contributed very substantially to Australia's fine international reputation in dance. Its graduates can be found as principals, soloists and artists in major companies throughout the world. The School works in close liaison with the Australian Ballet and, since its inception, has produced, on average, 95 per cent of the dancers for the Australian Ballet. The Government is a strong supporter of the Australian Ballet - a national flagship company. It recognises that it has experienced some financial difficulties in recent times which have the potential to curtail its full program of activity. While there is great pleasure to be gained by many Australians from the performance of the 'old favourites' from the Australian Ballet's traditional repertoire, the Government believes that, like all major companies involved in the arts, the Ballet can only survive if it is actively involved in the creative process. The newly estabilshed Major Organisations Board of the Australia Council will consider the inclusion of the AustralianBallet for triennial funding. The Ballet has also sought support for additional new Australian work. visual arts and crafts The 'visual arts' cover a spectrum of practice in a variety of forms and media including painting, sculpture, drawing, print making, photography, video, installation and performance art. The areas covered by the term 'craft' include working with ceramics, fibre, textiles, leather, glass, wood, metal, jewellery etc. The Australian Bureau of Statistics reports that there are over 40,000 professional visual artists in Australia. A strong and increasingly viable aspect of the visual arts sector is Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander visual arts and craft. Many people would argue that the visual arts have helped more than any other to forge our national identity. Australians have long had a fascination and connection with our natural landscape - an interest that has seen develop a robust visual arts tradition which encompasses all major arts/crafts genres. The advent of new technologies is changing the creation, storage, distribution, transmission and application of copyright materials. Although in the past the only source of income for the majority of visual artists derived from the sale of original work, this may not continue to be the case. With greater facilities to reproduce visual images through digital technology, an increasing source of income may be fees collected from such reproduction. The Commonwealth provides support for the visual arts through a number of avenues: ù direct assistance through Australia Council grants for artists, galleries and visual arts projects ù the National Gallery of Australia ù Artbank ù the Visions of Australia touring program ù Commonwealth Indemnification Scheme ù copyright legislation ù Bundanon Trust The Australia Council: The Visual Arts/Craft Board The principal support for the visual arts and crafts through the Australia Council has been oriented towards production, by means of direct grants to artists. In the 1993-94 financial year alone, the Board assisted 96 individuals and more than 200 groups. These included fellowships to 13 artists, and dozens of project grants to individual artists and art organisations. It also funded major exhibitions and touring collections, developed strategic international partnerships, and presented Emeritus Awards to four senior artists who have made major contributions to the visual arts and craft and who continue to inspire other artists and organisations. In addition several art writers were awarded fellowships to work on art books and essays, and about a dozen art journals were supported. The Government recognises that the development of the visual arts in Australia has been marked by attention devoted to individual visual arts practice, substantially through the Australia Council. Encouraging demand for the arts and distribution of the arts will be important to the future development of the sector. Since 1991, exports of Australian visual arts and crafts have received a major boost through the Visual Arts Export Strategy, a program developed by the Australia Council's Visual Arts/Craft Board, Austrade and Craft Australia. Commercial galleries have been able to penetrate lucrative overseas markets through the support for their exhibits at leading art and craft trade fairs in the USA, Europe and Asia. The Visual Arts Export Group, set up in 1992, brings together key participants as a peak industry body to monitor and further develop the strategy. Artists and exhibitions have toured widely throughout Asia under a joint venture with Asialink and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The program encourages the exchange of art and craft by supporting residencies in Asian art centres and funding small to medium size exhibitions to Asia. Through these successful programs Australian artists have come to world attention, sales have increased, and overseas audiences have become more aware of the wealth and diversity of the visual arts and crafts in Australia. The Government will build on these valuable programs by providing additional funds to the Council for a range of international marketing activities across the arts. National Gallery of Australia The National Gallery of Australia (NGA) in Canberra can trace its origins to 1911, but the institution was not formally established until 1975. Its responsibility is to develop and maintain a collection of art works from Australia and the rest of the world. It also conducts programs to educate and inform the public about the collection and the visual arts in general. Through exhibitions and education programs the NGA addresses issues of contemporary relevance such as virtual reality concepts, urban Aboriginal painting, AIDS and contemporary Australian art. The largest component of the National Gallery's collection relates to Australian art. Its collections of Aboriginal art, international art, international prints and illustrated books, Oceanic, pre-Columbian, African and Asian art are of international importance. The integrated, multi-media display of the collection makes for regular 'changeovers' of exhibitions. In 1994 the National Gallery re-opened its Australian galleries to provide a comprehensive survey of Australian Art. The National Gallery is also committed to the collection and display of cultures of non-European societies, particularly those of indigenous Australia and South-East Asia. In doing so, it strengthens the pluralistic nature of Australia's culture. The Gallery's recent exhibition, The Age of Angkor, and its program of assisting staff at the Cambodian National Museum are effective expressions of international cultural cooperation. Cultural exchanges build important links with our major trading partners, reinforcing the status of Australian culture in the eyes of the world. Such is the international standing and reputation of the Gallery that overseas institutions are prepared to lend significant works for display. Its 'blockbuster' exhibitions of works drawn from major gallery collections around the world - often placed alongside the Gallery's own holdings - have drawn large crowds over the past decade. Of these the most popular was Rubens and the Italian Renaissance in 1992 which attracted about 250 000 visitors. As a consequence of its success in attracting visitors, the National Gallery of Australia won the 1993 national tourism award for 'Major Tourist Attractions'. In recognition of this increasing role the Government will provide funds for a purpose-built exhibition space for the Gallery to house major national and international exhibitions. This is a partnership project with the Government of the Australian Capital Territory in recognition of the Gallery's role as a major tourist attraction in the ACT. The new exhibition space will alleviate the costly disruptions that are currently imposed on the permanent displays when temporary exhibitions are mounted. The construction of this space will also free exhibition space within the existing building to accommodate Gallery of Chinese Art which would house the proposed TT Tsui gift of Chinese art (which has an estimated value in excess of $5 million). The NGA currently has a select but small collection of Chinese artworks. This gift will significantly expand the collection while also building on an important cultural link between Australia and the People's Republic of China.It will also free space for the display of the Gallery's significant collection of Oceanic art reflecting our position in the Asia-Pacific. Artbank Artbank is a self-funding Government agency which was founded in 1980. It was established by the Commonwealth to purchase and rent artworks for display in both private and public sector buildings across Australia and overseas. Through purchase of artworks by emerging Australian artists, it encourages and supports contemporary artists. Its collection of over 7000 artworks includes paintings, sculptures, photographs, prints, ceramics and glass, and is the largest collection of contemporary Australian art available for rental. Artbank successfully made the transition to operating as a self-funding agency in 1992 and now has over 450 clients from both the private and public sector including many overseas posts. Proceeds from rentals are used to acquire further artworks by Australian artists, which in turn encourages and supports contemporary artists. As such, Artbank is one of the largest purchasers of Australian art, spending over $250 000 per year on new acquisitions for the collection. Visions of Australia The Government believes that it is important to encourage greater access by all Australians to our visual arts. Since the introduction in 1993 of Visions of Australia, the national touring exhibitions program, more Australians can now see and appreciate Australian cultural heritage, visual arts and science. This program increases access to a wide range of Australian cultural exhibitions by assisting their tours across the country, particularly to regional and remote areas. Partnerships between collecting and community organisations are encouraged under the program in order to ensure the relevance of exhibitions to local communities and provide opportunity for local input, and assist resource sharing and skills transfer. visions of australia The first grants were announced in May 1994 and the public is beginning to enjoy the benefit of the program as over 50 new exhibitions tour during 1994-95 and in 1995-96. Among the exhibitions proposed to tour are: ù ICI Microcosm, an exhibition using computers, videos and microscopes to produce cyberscopes exploring human anatomy, botany, geology or printing techniques. The exhibition is managed by Questacon, the National Science and Technology Centre, and will visit regional centres in NSW and QLD; ù Between Two Worlds The Commonwealth Government and the removal of Aboriginal children of part-descent in the Northern Territory is an exhibition mounted by the Australian Archives to explore the experiences of Aboriginal children removed from their families and placed in church-run homes. It is touring to NT, SA, WA, NSW and Victoria; ù Discoveries, a mult-imedia interactive installation, including a decorated replica Vietnamese refugee boat, focuses on the experiences of Indo-Chinese refugees in Australia. It is to be toured by Fairfield Community Arts Network to Queensland and the Northern Territory; and ù An exhibition of Australian comic books and comic book art from the 1930s to the present, entitled Search for the Golden Wombat, is proposed to be developed and toured by the Ephemera Society of Australia Inc in Victoria. Commonwealth Indemnification Scheme The Commonwealth Indemnification Scheme makes it possible to tour major international exhibitions by indemnifying up to $500 million of works at any one time. It has also allowed Australian art exhibitions such as Golden Summers to tour Australia to record audiences. The Scheme provides Commonwealth indemnity as a substitute for expensive commercial insurance cover which could otherwise make many major touring exhibitions unviable. Visual Artists Copyright Musicians, film-makers, and authors in Australia have the benefit of collecting agencies to act on their behalf in collecting copyright fees for use of their material. The Government recognises that the lack of a collecting society for visual artists in Australia is a gap in copyright protection. As individuals, most visual artists do not have the ability to find out if their work is being reproduced without their consent. Even if an artist knows that unauthorised reproductions of their work are being sold, it is usually not cost-effective for an individual to take legal action. They are thus missing out on compensation to which they are entitled under the Copyright Act, and on obtaining a proper financial return from the use of their work. The recent review of copyright collecting societies, following the commitment in Distinctly Australian, has strongly supported the need for a visual arts collecting society and identified an essential role for the Government in facilitating its establishment. The Commonwealth Government will support the establishment of a copyright collecting society for the visual arts and provide $1 million towards the costs of establishing it. Over 40 000 professional visual artists will immediately benefit from international protection of their work. Industry studies conducted by the National Association for the Visual Arts (NAVA) estimate that up to $4.5 million could be raised during the first five years of the life of such a society. The collecting society, which will be called Vi$copy, will work for all visual arts disciplines and media, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander visual artists. Those operating in commercial areas, such as photographers, illustrators and designers will be protected, along with fine artists, craftspeople, sculptors and artists working in new technology. The Government will hold discussions with NAVA and other visual arts organisations to finalise operational details. The Government further recognises that certain economic disadvantages encountered by visual artists emerge from the provisions of the Copyright Act and will review these provisions to ensure that protection is offered by the Copyright Act for the economic rights of visual artists. The Government will review the protection given to the visual arts including photography through the Copyright Act. Bundanon Trust In 1993 the Australian artist Arthur Boyd and his wife Yvonne donated to the nation their historic Bundanon property near Nowra on the South Coast of New South Wales. The Bundanon property and adjacent Riversdale property are situated on the Shoalhaven River, the subject of some of Boyd's greatest works. The gift includes the content of those properties and an extensive art collection. Bundanon is becoming a living arts and environment centre. The Bundanon Trust - a company limited by guarantee to manage the properties and the art collection and implement the cultural program - was incorporated in 1993. The Commonwealth made a one-off grant of more than $5 million to the Trust. The company has a Board of Directors appointed by the Minister for Communications and the Arts. film, television and radio Film, television and radio pervade Australian life, reflecting and shaping the culture of our nation, and providing a window through which to view the culture of others. The Government believes that it is important for Australians to see and hear material that reflects Australian experience and heightens awareness of Australian achievement and potential. A range of government policies operate to fulfil this ambition, including local content quotas and support for local production. Australian programs comprise 60 per cent of all programs shown on television. In recent years, Australians have enjoyed increasing levels of Australian material on radio. Box office receipts for Australian films increased to 7 per cent of the total in 1992-93. These are powerful media. Almost all Australian homes have a television and a radio. Nearly 80 per cent have a VCR. Cinema box office receipts are increasing every year. More and more, Australians get much of their news and information through television and radio. The immense power that this gives electronic media proprietors is properly a matter of concern for many Australians. The Government's cross-media ownership rules provide a check on this power. Our national broadcasters have a special independent role to reflect the nation's diversity. In the 1980s the film industry and commercial television and radio experienced considerable upheavals. Each has emerged stronger in this decade and well placed to meet the challenges of new television and communications services. The Government recognises in this statement that as the opportunities are created by developments in communications technologies, content will be the defining element. The skills that we have developed in film, television and radio will help us to become a major content provider. Australian television programming is attracting significant audiences around the world. We are now an established supplier of programming, with a high reputation for quality drama, documentary, and children's material. Our multicultural society is another significant advantage, giving us an insight into the cultures of other countries. In addition we have a sophisticated communications system with modern infrastructure and high levels of creative and technical skill in these industries. For all these reasons we are now well placed to take advantage of the communications revolution by establishing a sound creative infrastructure. The challenge is to adapt our film and television production industries so that they deliver whole libraries of programs and applications which will find audiences in Australia and overseas. However, a creative infrastructure will only be effective where all existing players in the industry identify and pursue common ends. This will require the cooperation of: ù creators of film, television and multi-media software; ù broadcasters with experience of mass marketing and distribution of content; and ù newspaper and publishing industries to provide content and entrepreneurial skills. government and international trade in content The inclusion of the audio-visual services sector in recent international trade agreements (General Agreement on Trade in Services) may have an impact on the longer term viability and growth of the Australian film industry. Australia will not feel any immediate impact from this but as negotiations proceed towards liberalisation of trade, the Government recognises its responsibility to ensure that our cultural objectives are not jeopardised. film The Australian film industry has enjoyed enormous success since its renaissance in the 1970s. In 1992-93, total expenditure on Australian film and video production was more than $1.2 billion. A number of Australian films, including the recent Muriel's Wedding and Priscilla Queen of the Desert, have achieved local box office revenues equal to foreign movies made on vastly bigger budgets. Australian creative personnel - directors, actors and cinematographers - have been remarkably successful in the international film industry. The energy and expertise of independent producers have made Australian film today what it was in the 1920s - a cultural treasure. Independent production has created a film industry which has a diversity of voices, promotes efficiency and is cost-effective. The Government will continue to support the development of the Australian film industry by: ù regulating local content on television; ù providing funding for the production of Australian films and television programs, together with taxation incentives; and ù working to ensure that international trade liberalisation does not jeopardise cultural objectives. government support for film production In 23 of the 24 OECD nations, governments subsidise film industries, through either passive or active investment. Even in the United States, various regulatory and other incentives are offered at federal and State levels. The Government confirms that it will continue to provide direct funding to support production of Australian films and our film idustry as part of our creative infrastructure. The cultural dividend alone makes it wise for governments to invest in the Australian film industry. And it has been in pursuit of this dividend that the Commonwealth has supported the industry for the last quarter of a century. There is no intention to turn back the clock and provide film industry support through accelerated tax incentives. Integrated support for the film industry is provided through the Department of Communications and the Arts and portfolio specialist agencies. The Government contributes to the production of films, documentaries and television programs through assistance programs under the auspices of the Australian Film Finance Corporation (FFC), the Australian Film Commission (AFC), Film Australia Pty Ltd and the Australian Children's Television Foundation. The Government-funded Australian Film, Television and Radio School plays a significant role in industry training. Further indirect assistance is also provided through a range of taxation and local content requirements. The FFC was established in 1988 to invest in qualifying Australian films as set out in the Income Tax Assessment Act 1936. Since its establishment, the Government has invested over $400 million in Australian films and television programs with total budgets of around $830 million. The Government believes that the involvement of the private sector is essential to the development of our film industry, and the target for FFC private sector participation has been set at 40 per cent across all projects funded. In addition there is a minimum of 15 per cent private sector participation with respect to each project, except for children's programs and some documentaries which may drop below 15 per cent. The only exceptions to this are special 'Feature Film Fund' projects in which the FFC provides up to 100 per cent of the budget. The requirement for private sector participation means that in a large number of cases, funding will only be made available if there is marketplace interest in the project demonstrated through a pre-sale or a licence fee. In recognition of the increasing internationalisation of the entertainment industry, and the opportunities presented for creative collaboration, the Government will also continue to provide funding for certain international co-productions. The FFC will continue to invest in films made pursuant to treaties with other governments, including the United Kingdom, Canada and Italy. These are certified by the Department of Communications and the Arts on the advice of the AFC. The Government also promotes the development of film and television projects through the AFC, which was established in 1975. In addition, tax incentives remain available under divisions 10B and 10BA of the Income Tax Assessment Act. Active investment by the Commonwealth in film production and film tax incentives is only available to productions which are identifiably Australian, having a preponderance of Australian elements, including Australian creative control, cast and crew, themes and location. national broadcasters The ABC is one of Australia's primary cultural institutions and our pre-eminent national broadcaster. The SBS provides a unique window onto multicultural Australia. It is a service without parallel in the world - and the Government will continue to support it. The performance of our national broadcasters has never been more closely scrutinised by the community than at present. One of the features which makes our national broadcasters so valuable is that their editorial and programming independence is guaranteed through legislation. Accordingly, the Government will require effective adherence by the ABC and the SBS to the charter responsibilities. This year, the Government committed to a three-year funding agreement for both the ABC and the SBS_guaranteeing funding in real terms. This has given them the opportunity to engage in significant forward planning without uncertainty about the level of future funding. This further strengthens their independence. government funding of our national broadcasters YEAR ABC SBS 1994-95 $515.1million $75.7million 1995-96 $525.2million $79.4million 1996-97 $548.3million $81.7million the australian broadcasting corporation The ABC, as the national broadcaster, plays a vital role in the encouraging, developing an Australian culture. It employs more creative talent and disseminates more cultural 'product' than any other Australian organisation. It is a major part of Australia's artistic and cultural life. ABC Television presents over 100 hours of quality Australian drama each year, along with in-house documentaries and documentaries commissioned from independent Australian film-makers. In 1992-93 the ABC spent some $222 million on programming for television. The ABC forges links with the artistic and cultural community by: ù adapting the arts to television and radio, and encouraging arts funding bodies to contribute to this process; ù innovating and experimenting with radio and television programming, through commissioning and production; ù showing the work of Australian independent film producers; and ù encouraging Australian composers and musicians through presentation in performance, competitions and orchestral workshops. abc television ABC television reaches 98 per cent of Australians through terrestrial broadcasts to capital cities and regional areas and the Homestead and Community Broadcasting Satellite Service to remote areas. It operates 24-hour broadcasting, seven days a week. In 1993, ABC Television broadcast over 100 hours of first run Australian drama to reach its highest ever Australian content levels. On average, more than 75 per cent of ABC TV's evening programming is Australian. Much of the drama broadcast on ABC TV has received Australian and international accolades. Programs such as Brides of Christ, Police Rescue, Phoenix and Janus have set new standards in productions.Children's programs such as Playschool and Bananas in Pyjamas have also achieved unprecedented success. ABC TV has also maintained a strong commitment to coverage of the arts. Sunday Afternoon presents five and a half hours of interviews, arts, documentaries and performance programs each week. As the communications revolution unfolds, the ABC's role in developing Australia's national identity, fostering cultural diversity and encouraging cultural expression will become even more important. australia television In February 1993, the ABC commenced a satellite television service to South-East Asia in accordance with its charter. Australia Television is an English-language service which provides regionally focused news, current affairs, education and general entertainment programming. It has retransmission arrangements in place with regional broadcasters and cable operators in the Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, China and Laos. The challenge for the service is now to attract the large potential audience in South-East Asia able to receive the direct satellite signal. abc radio ABC Radio is a world class radio service offering high quality news, current affairs, entertainment, music, drama, and arts programming. It has a commitment to high levels of Australian content across all its networks. ABC Radio broadcasts more than 120 plays each year, and over half of these are Australian. ABC Radio networks also ensure that a minimum of at least 20 per cent of all music broadcast is performed by Australians, and 5 per cent of the music is of Australian composition. The ABC provides five domestic radio services: Radio Metropolitan: which has stations in all State capitals, Canberra, Darwin and Newcastle; ABC Regional: with stations and outposts in 48 regional centres throughout Australia; Radio National: which is a specialist network with studios and production units in every State; ABC Classic FM: a national network devoted to music (particularly classical music), performance, audio arts and features; and Triple J: an FM youth network which reaches all State capitals, Canberra, Darwin and Newcastle. Triple J has achieved great success in the radio youth market and is currently being extended to 44 regional centres. People in rural areas are provided with at least one radio service (ABC Regional). When the Second Regional Radio Network is completed in 1995--96 they will also have access to Radio National and in some areas ABC Classic FM. The Government has recently given the ABC permission to establish a news radio service (the Parliamentary and News Network) to be transmitted on the down time of the Parliamentary Broadcasting Network. This service will cover the capital cities and Newcastle. The ABC's international radio service, Radio Australia, provides a 24-hour English and foreign language service. Radio Australia broadcasts news and information-based programs designed primarily to encourage awareness and understanding of Australia within its target regions of the Central and South-West Pacific, South-East Asia and North Asia. the special broadcasting service (sbs) The SBS delivers quality radio and television to a multicultural Australian audience. SBS's programs are carried by satellite and rebroadcast terrestrially in centres around Australia. The television network is available to around 14.5 million Australians (75 per cent of the population), and SBS's multilingual radio service is available in most capital cities. The SBS is funded primarily by the Government, ($75.7million allocated in the 1994-95 Budget) but is permitted to supplement this through sponsorship and other activities. Current SBS Board policy is that neither commercial sponsorship nor advertising is permitted on SBS Radio. The SBS spent some $24.6million on programming in 1992-93. sbs television SBS TV is available in all capital cities, most large regional centres and another 26 centres which receive the service via the Self Help Broadcast Reception Scheme. Every week SBS TV is viewed by over 3 million Australians. SBS policy ensures that half of the SBS TV program schedule will be in languages other than English. One Australian in five was born overseas and 40 per cent of the population has at least one parent who was not born in Australia. SBS programming aims to reflect this diversity. To achieve this it has had to rely mostly on access to overseas material - its funding arrangements have allowed SBS little scope to initiate and broadcast Australian content. Given the high costs involved, SBS has averaged just three hours of first-run local drama each year. In recognition of the importance of developing programming to reflect Australia's multicultural society, the Government will provide $13 million over four years to SBS to commission high quality Australian programs. The programs will include drama series, low-budget features and documentaries that reflect Australia's cultural diversity. Priority will be given to those which can also be sold to the international broadcasting market. The SBS production fund will allow SBS to annually commission approximately 30 hours of multicultural drama, documentaries, low-budget features and feature films. It will be administered separately from SBS's normal operating budget by SBS Independent, which will commission product from independent producers throughout Australia. This new injection of funding will provide major employment opportunities for people from non-English speaking backgrounds and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. What it produces will have a strong export potential, not the least in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. With its experience in translation, subtitling and multicultural broadcasting SBS is perfectly situated to tap into these markets with a high quality Australian product. Revenue derived by SBS Independent from distribution of the programs will be re-invested in similar projects. Importantly, this funding will encourage the broadcast of the rich mixture of contemporary voices and visions currently found in other Australian creative genres such as literature, film and the visual arts. sbs radio Australia's SBS Radio is the world's only multilingual, multicultural national radio network. It broadcasts more hours per week in more languages, and reaches more non-English speaking and Aboriginal audiences than any other radio network in Australia. Programs on SBS Radio include local and international news, community information, cultural events, music, sports and entertainment features. SBS Radio has made migrants feel at home, helped newcomers to adjust and long-term settlers to maintain their cultural identity. What began in 1975 as four hours of programs a day in eight languages grew into the present weekly schedule of 66 languages. In 1994, SBS Radio was extended through the creation of a national network and second frequencies in Melbourne and Sydney. The extra air time and expanded reach has given more time to language programs and allowed the addition of English language multicultural programming and news. The network now reaches listeners in Sydney, Newcastle, Wollongong, Melbourne, Geelong, Darwin, Perth, Adelaide and Brisbane, and will soon be heard in Canberra and Hobart. commercial television Commercial television ratings confirm that Australians prefer local programming over imported product. Last year, nine of the ten highest rating programs on commercial television were Australian. Government has regulated the commercial broadcasting sector since its earliest years to require it to meet mandated levels of Australian content and all stations now exceed the Australian quota requirements. Despite its late start, Australian television is world competitive. The Australian television industry has, like the film industry, achieved growing success in exporting Australian programs. In 1993, overseas sales of Australian programs raised revenue of over $65 million. The Government has maintained a structured approach to the development of the television industry. Production funding and training schemes have developed programs and skills. australian commercial television production fund To give Australians access to a wide range of high quality Australian programs the Government will increase Australian content on commercial television by establishing the Australian Television Production Fund. Through this Fund, from next financial year, and for a period of three years, the Government will provide $20 million per annum to the television production industry. The Government has decided to establish the special television production fund to increase Australian content on our screens, strengthen the industry at large and provide it with additional support during the onset of the new communications era. The Fund will encourage the creation of programs and of libraries of copyright owned by Australians through: ù supporting experienced producers engaged in the development and production of:: - Australian drama (excluding 'infotainment', serials and series, but including feature films, telemovies and mini-series); - children's drama programs; and - documentary programs. ù supporting the development and marketing of multimedia applications of new or existing programs produced for television; and ù providing incentives for the export of programs or applications supported by the Fund. In any one year a maximum of 50 per cent of the Fund will be available to commercial television licensees engaged in production and the remainder will be channelled to Australian independent producers. Funds will be allocated on the basis of production proposals and competitive track record, in terms of achievement in production and export of programs. Programs financed by the Fund will not count for quotas required under the Australian content rules. In this way, the Fund will substantially increase the amount of quality Australian programming we see on our televisions. At least 10 per cent of the Fund should be spent on productions eligible for children's programming which will satisfy the C classification administered by the Australian Broadcasting Authority (ABA). The detail of the Fund and its administration will be finalised through extensive consultation involving all relevant groups. The Government has asked the ABA to conduct these consultations and to report to the Minister for Communications and the Arts by February 1995. It will be essential for the commercial television broadcasters and the production industry to work co-operatively to ensure the Fund meets its objectives. The Government confirms that it will not reduce funding to current film industry support programs as a result of the introduction of this initiative. pay television Australians will soon be able to access more television programs with the introduction of pay TV. Services will be delivered by satellite, microwave or cable - or a combination of these technologies. The most exciting aspect of the introduction of these new services will be the need for programming. The providers of pay TV in Australia will be acquiring programs to encourage Australian television viewers to expand their viewing habits. There is great potential for the Australian film and television sector to provide much of this programming. The Government is keen to ensure that the new pay TV services have an Australian drama element. In 1992-93, the ABC was granted two satellite pay TV channels together with $12.5 million to assist in establishing services. ABC Pay TV, which will be operated through a subsidiary, will be on a fully commercial basis. The Broadcasting Services Act requires pay TV operators to devote at least 10 per cent of their expenditure to Australian product. The Government will review this minimum once services have commenced, and may increase the level to 20 per cent. regulation of content The Government will continue to regulate the commercial television industry in the areas of Australian content requirements on both free-to-air and subscription (or pay) TV, codes of practice and the protection of special events. The Government reaffirms the importance of Australian content requirements as a critical part of building Australian identity, character and cultural diversity. We need to create Australian content to enrich and export our culture and to build new industry and employment opportunities emerging in the new communications environment. Australia has strict rules governing the national and commercial broadcasters. In broad terms, broadcasters must provide at least 50 per cent Australian programs and produce a minimum amount of first release Australian programming. There are also obligations on pay television: 10 per cent of the amount spent on drama must be invested in first release Australian drama programs. Australian content requirements for free-to-air-television are set out in Television Program Standard 14, which is overseen by the ABA. The standard aims to encourage programs which are identifiably Australian, recognise the cultural diversity of the Australian community, are developed for an Australian audience, and are produced with Australian creative control. The standard is currently being reviewed by the ABA. On 13 July 1994, the ABA released a draft discussion paper on Australian content requirements including children's programming. Its assessment of the current standard indicates a need for: ù clear articulation of cultural objectives; ù simplification of the mechanisms in the standard; ù greater flexibility to enhance response to audience needs, and to support competition in an increasingly globalised production industry; ù more effective means of encouraging specific program types; and ù consideration of Australia's international obligations. Following consideration of submissions, the ABA plans to issue later this year a draft standard for further public comment, before determining a standard in early 1995 which will phase in any new requirements. The Government will continue to ensure that Australian television remains in Australian ownership in accordance with the Broadcasting Services Act 1992. Broadcasting in Australia has traditionally been subject to limits on who can own and control media outlets. The objects of the Broadcasting Services Act in providing for the control limits are to ensure that Australians have effective control of the more influential broadcasting services and to encourage diversity amongst the more influential services. Foreign control of commercial television broadcasting licences is prohibited, and no foreign person may have company interests (as set out in the Act) in a licence exceeding 15 per cent; aggregate foreign ownership in a licence must not exceed 20 per cent. The rapid globalisation of broadcasting, particularly through satellite television which will in the next few years extend throughout Australia, poses additional challenges to Commonwealth government regulation. This is why the Government has acted to protect the televising of major events at the commencement of subscription cable, satellite and MDS television delivery. children's programs Development of media for young Australians is a fundamental element of the film and television industries. Australia has led the world in legislating for content requirements with strict guidelines for children's television. The Government supports film for young Australians principally through the Australian Children's Television Foundation which is developing multimedia materials alongside traditional programs. The Film Finance Corporation provides investment in children's film production under more favourable terms than adult drama and the Australian Film Commission provides investment in films and script development assistance for children's programs. This is backed up by the ABA's regulation that children should have access to a variety of quality television programs made specifically for them, including Australian drama. australian children's television foundation Since 1982, the Australian Children's Television Foundation (ACTF) has operated as a national non-profit organisation to encourage the development, production and dissemination of high quality, innovative television programs, films and other audio-visual media for children, and to encourage their distribution by any form of technology. It undertakes and initiates research and provides an authoritative source of information on all aspects of television, film and other audio-visual media relevant to children, including new interactive program applications. Over the past decade the ACTF has improved the production environment of, and made a significant difference to, children's television in Australia. The Foundation has invested in both the script development and production of telemovies, mini-series and one-off dramas and encouraged wider industry involvement in children's media. The Foundation has produced 115 hours of programming which has sold into more than 90 countries. The ACTF's programs have received more than 45 awards both nationally and internationally. The ACTF develops books and teacher/parent materials to accompany all of its programs. To date, more than 650 000 publications associated with Foundation programs and 65 000 videotapes have been distributed in Australia. In March 1995, the ACTF will host the first World Summit on Television and Children. The Summit will address the need to achieve a greater understanding of developments in children's television around the world; to raise the status of children's programming; to draw to the attention of key players in broadcasting the importance of issues relating to children; and to agree on a charter of guiding principles in children's television. The Government recognises that film, television and developing formats including CD-ROM applications are important sources of information, education and entertainment for children. It is also recognised that young people quickly adopt new formats such as interactive video games and multimedia. The Government will maintain its support for the Australian Children's Television Foundation and will provide additional assistance for it to develop multimedia applications as part of a wider multimedia initiative (see Multimedia section). commercial radio Commercial radio plays an important role in developing Australian culture and talent. In addition to providing music services, less commonly recognised services include the development of Australian comedy programs and the opportunity to participate in public debate through talk-back radio. Ninety per cent of Australians listen to commercial radio each week. They listen to a weekly average of 19 hours 52 minutes of commercial radio. Over 80 per cent of Australian households have three or more radios and 99 per cent of cars have a radio. A minimum level of Australian content to promote the role of broadcasting services in developing Australian identity are part of the Australian Music Code of Practice. Metropolitan and regional stations in the pop/rock category must play at least 25 per cent Australian content; 15 per cent for Hits and Memories stations. The Australian Music Performance Committee monitors observance of the Code. This voluntary group consists of music industry representatives including the Federation of Australian Broadcasters and the Musicians' Union. community broadcasting Community radio and television are relative newcomers to the broadcasting sector but have grown remarkably in the past ten years. They provide a unique range of services and access to smaller audiences in both urban and regional Australia. Programming, which is predominantly radio, includes local news and information, targeted/interactive programming, ethnic language programming and niche entertainment of all kinds. This year, the Government is providing $3.1 million through the Community Broadcasting Foundation to support access to broadcasting for indigenous Australians, ethnic communities and the print handicapped. The Government will continue to promote diversity through the emergence of a greater number of television and radio services. aboriginal broadcasting Indigenous broadcasters form an important and distinct broadcasting sector. Through their own broadcasting and communications services they produce linguistically and culturally relevant programs, strengthening, developing and restoring their cultures. Until 1992, the Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association (CAAMA) operated the only licensed Aboriginal community broadcasting service. By the end of June 1994, there were six other licensed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander broadcasters. CAAMA's Alice Springs based 8KIN FM broadcasts 18 hours a day, reaching a potential audience of about 60,000 indigenous people from 25 major language groups. Other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander media associations with community broadcasting licences operate in North-East Queensland, Brisbane, Perth, Darwin, and smaller stations in Western Australia and South Australia. Programs and issues covered on Aboriginal owned community radio stations include: news, sport, current affairs, music, talk-back, Aboriginal oral stories, health, employment, housing and land rights information as well as special programs for youth and the aged. In addition to the seven licensed broadcasters, 11 other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander regional media groups produce radio programs for the ABC and other broadcasters. In addition, there are 80 organisations that hold community broadcasting licences under the Broadcasting for Remote Aboriginal Communities Scheme (BRACS). BRACS offers remote communities a unique facility to interrupt and replace existing radio or television services with their own programming. statement of principles for media reporting on aboriginal and torres strait islander issues Following the recommendation of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody, the Government has developed a Statement of Principles for Media Reporting on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander issues. This Statement will now be released and is intended as a basic working document to assist the broadcasting and print media industries to develop their own detailed codes of conduct, in consultation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. These codes of conduct will help the media to produce programs and publications which respect the dignity, traditions and contemporary achievements of these people, and which avoid reinforcing prejudice and stereotyped beliefs. multi-media cultural production in an information age Not too many years ago, policy in respect of information, computing, telephony and broadcasting would have been seen purely in an industry or service policy context. The focus would have been on hardware and its application to the means of production and distribution. The emphasis was almost exclusively on efficiency and productivity. Today, information technology having advanced so rapidly offers a wide medium for the exchange of information and ideas. Text, graphics, sound and image can now be deployed to provide not simply data but concepts and understanding, creative elements that can expand horizons and devices that can engage the mind in contemporary activity. Information technology, and all that it now offers, has crossed the technical rubicon into the realm of consciousness, to the realm of culture. Multi-media today gives us instruments which allow us to shape information in so many forms that they can become an integral part of our life's experience. This is why the imperatives of the information age and some of its opportunities are addressed here in the context of creative and cultural policy. Interactive multi-media has the potential to become a new force in education, art, culture and service and the biggest information business in the world. It will change the way we communicate, the way we learn, the way we do business, the way we create, the way we live our daily lives. If, as a nation, we can create a vibrant multi-media industry, we will go a long way to ensuring that we have a stake in the new world order yet retain a distinctly Australian culture. Multi-media can provide us with an important new form of cultural expression and a major product to sell to the world. It will also provide new ways of accessing the storehouse of our intellectual and creative inheritance. Australia already has some of the wherewithal to yield these new opportunities. We have one of the more advanced telecommunications networks in the world, and now substantial investment is underway to ensure our information highway is put into place. But it is content which is absolutely critical: it is what we put onto the highway that really matters. Australian content development industries already generate domestic revenues in the order of $8.4 billion and we have considerable strengths in areas relevant to the creation of interactive multi-media products. We have a strong and innovative film and television industry, recognised software skills and a long tradition of innovation and entrepreneurial endeavour. However, if we are to create a market for Australian content both at home and abroad, we must make a fundamental conceptual shift to this new form of information packaging and presentation. In response to this, the Government has moved quickly to re-assess traditional policy settings across government. In January 1994, the Communications and Arts portfolios were merged to enable the Government best to deal with the convergence of the broadcasting, telecommunications, computing and creative (i.e. film and content production) industries and technologies. This reflects the view that the content of communications services cannot be considered separately from the delivery of that content. This move has sent a positive message to both content creators and distributors that the Government understands the need for policy to take us into the epoch of the 'information superhighway'. In addition, in late 1993 on the Prime Minister's initiative the Broadband Services Expert Group (BSEG) was established to report to the Government, and the wider community, on the implications for Australia of the impending developments in multi-media and broadband services. Throughout its inquiries, content producers have stressed that future developments must be in lock step with service providers. In its interim report, BSEG nominated content as the critical issue for Australia. Australia has the opportunity to become a world leader in the new services environment through the production of content - the essential element in the broadband and multi-media environment. This was also recognised in Commerce in Content: Building Australia's International Future in Interactive Multi-media Markets, a report jointly commissioned by BSEG and the Department of Industry, Science and Technology. The Commerce in Content report estimates that, by the end of the decade, the Australian domestic interactive multi-media market could be worth $2 billion to $3 billion. Australian interactive multi-media exports could be worth more than $200 million by 1997-98. As we look at the information highway road map, there are broadly speaking three main waves of content production which will be developed over the next 10-15 years. They are not entirely sequential, but loosely involve CD-ROM product over the next three to five years, followed by on-line PC services and finally broadband interactive services. While ultimately it is the broadband services that are likely to have the most pervasive effect on our lives and our culture, a key challenge facing us now is the production of CD-ROM multi-media titles for personal computers. Personal computers equipped with CD-ROM players are now standard. The global installed base of CD-ROM players is forecast to quadruple to 45 million units from 1994 to 1996 and the number of CD-ROM players in Australia is forecast to exceed one million within three years. If we can compete successfully in the CD-ROM market, the experience and skills base we gain will provide a critical foothold for the future development of content for the information highway. It will help position us to compete better in the already emerging PC on-line narrowband market, and later on in the interactive PC and broadband television market. But the window of opportunity is limited indeed and unless we act quickly and creatively, we run some risk of missing the content boat. Our educated population, our creative infrastructure, and the fact that we develop in English are all big advantages in capturing a significant share of the rapidly growing CD-ROM market. In the longer term, BSEG has also identified the need to focus on the emerging on-line services and broadband interactive services. These new services will be very pervasive an