Zoe McKenzie (Flinders, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

In continuation from yesterday on the Australia Council Amendment (Creative Australia) Bill 2023, it is proposed that the functions be absorbed by the Australia Council, now to be known as Creative Australia. It is worth noting briefly here that the Australia Council has tried its hand at philanthropic activity in the past without, one might say, resounding success. In my time on the board, a co-investment subcommittee eventually dissipated in terms of both activity and focus but for the Venice Biennale, which has engaged broadly and successfully across Australia's philanthropic community to mount extremely successful exhibitions at the Australian Pavilion since the 1980s. However, this has usually been done by setting up a committee external to the Australia Council to undertake the huge two-year fundraising task as well as the design of bespoke programs offered to recognise donors and supporters alike. These are not the usual—nor, may it be said, necessarily comfortable—tasks for public servants engaged by the Australia Council, who discharge their functions with accountability to the sector but also to the taxpayer.

The bill suggests that all employees of Creative Partnerships Australia but for the CEO will be transferred to Creative Australia, but it is not yet clear whether the state capital city based offices of Creative Partnerships currently located in Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane will be retained. Those offices provide a low-cost local link to Creative Partnerships Australia for arts organisations and artists nationwide—something from which the Australia Council for the Arts could benefit, given that it is solely headquartered in inner Sydney. It is important to recognise those who have contributed to the success of Creative Partnerships Australia. The board has included Catherine Walter, Dan Rosen, Natasha Bowness, Rosheen Garnon, Leonard Varey, Carol Schwartz, Samantha Meers and the great Rupert Myer. I also thank all of those who have donated through CPA and made a real difference to arts and culture in this country.

The amendments will require Creative Australia to deliver the functions of Creative Partnerships Australia including the attraction and recognition of public- and private-sector support for, and philanthropic and private investment in, the arts and the undertaking of research on public- and private-sector investment. There is indeed some crossover with a new approach, recently established by the Myer Foundation, in partnership with the Sidney Myer Fund, the Tim Fairfax Family Foundation and the Ian Potter Foundation, among others. A new approach led by my former colleague on the Australia Council board, Kate Fielding, undertakes magnificent research in and around Australian culture. I highly recommend it.

In essence, the great loss from this change will be the disappearance of a dedicated entity focused on the delicate and—for many in the public sector—the sometimes daunting task of philanthropy. The transfer will bring together private arts philanthropy and public arts funding within the one entity, the cultures of which are quite distinct and not always compatible. It will be interesting to see how the new philanthropic arm of Creative Australia is established and operated so as to not lose the remarkable energy and activity around private support for the arts and culture which has been an element of cultural endeavour since the beginning of time. Till then, I wish those involved patience and courage with the transition.

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