Libby Coker (Corangamite, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

Labor governments have a proud history of supporting and nurturing the arts, because we know it's good for our economy, jobs, our international reputation, and, importantly, the creative arts nourish our souls and give us pride in who we are, where we live and our amazing cultural achievements. But there is much more we need to do to ensure that Australia's arts sector continues to thrive in an increasingly global marketplace. That is why this bill, the Australia Council Amendment (Creative Australia) Bill 2023, is so important. It delivers on the promise that we took to the last election to invest in the arts and create an environment where the arts, and, importantly, all those who work in the sector can again prosper.

Great Labor icon and visionary, former prime minister Gough Whitlam, recognised the power of the arts to cultivate culture and economic opportunity when he said the arts is:

Fundamental to … a vigorous Australian national spirit …

…   …   …

To help cultivate a rich and enduring national pride, and to enlarge the people's opportunities for cultural fulfilment …

I've witnessed the importance of this firsthand in my own region. Last week, I had the privilege of visiting the set of Netflix's Surviving Summer season 2, a production featuring Australian stories, cast and crew and filmed on our very own Surf Coast in Victoria. As I walked the set, there was a real creative energy, a buzz of excitement and, importantly, a large cast and crew working creatively on a production showcasing our landscapes, culture and people. From the young and upcoming actors to the seasoned veterans, the team were working together, driven by a common purpose to tell a compelling Australian story. The production is filmed in locations including Twisters Torquay, the Jan Juc Surf Life Saving Club, Point Danger, Strapper Surfboards and a number of private properties. The production is testament to the resilience and creativity of our arts sector, which has faced enormous challenges in recent years, including through the pandemic and a lack of federal support under the former Liberal government.

So it is time, in the words of Gough Whitlam. It's time to once again invigorate the creative arts, and this is the purpose of this bill. It harks back to 1975, when Gough Whitlam launched the Australia Council for the Arts as the principal Commonwealth arts investment and advisory body. Whitlam said at that time:

I believe that the formation of an independent Australia Council will inaugurate a new era of vitality and progress in the arts, that creative artists of all kinds will enjoy a new measure of security and status in the community and that the Australian people as a whole will have new and wider opportunities to participate in the arts and enjoy the emotional, spiritual and intellectual rewards which the arts alone can provide.

The bill before you today carries on this proud and worthy ambition, cementing the government's national cultural policy—hopefully—in legislation and the establishment of Creative Australia. Creative Australia will strengthen the capacity of the Australia Council, providing greater oversight, with engagement across the sector. It will ensure independence for the sector—'independence' in the sense that funding decisions will be made on a merits basis, and, as the Minister for the Arts put it, 'at arm's length from government'. The bill empowers the Australia Council to operate under the Creative Australia name for the interim.

A follow-up bill will be introduced later this year to establish Creative Australia as a new organisation, and it will also establish Music Australia and the Centre for Arts and Entertainment Workplaces within that organisation. The establishment of these bodies is proof of this government's support for the sector. These bodies will be essential to building critical partnerships and expertise that will support artists and benefit Australian audiences. Consultation on this matter will continue and will inform that legislation, and I will be asking people in my arts communities to make sure they take part.

This bill will provide authority for Creative Australia to deliver functions currently held by Creative Partnerships Australia. The transfer will ensure that Creative Australia's expertise is leveraged to bring together arts philanthropy and arts funding under the same umbrella. It is so important that we work together to ensure, across our government and the opposition, that we get this bill through parliament. It is going to make a huge difference.

Importantly, we will fund this initiative with $15 million over three years, from 2023-24, including $5 million ongoing and indexed from 2026-27. This funding will enable increased access to private sector funding and will maximise support for the sector. We will be able to promote and support creative arts practices and make sure that they are recognised not just nationally but internationally. We'll ensure that the Centre for Arts and Entertainment Workplaces will work with industry stakeholders to raise and maintain employment standards. The centre will ensure standards are set for pay and safety for all art forms and arts organisations, and it will ensure issues are referred to relevant authorities where appropriate and make sure that those companies that do not adhere to these standards are prevented from receiving government funding. Moreover, the bill will empower Music Australia to support the Australian music industry to grow through strategic initiatives, industry partnerships, research, training and skills development.

With this bill and the relevant funding proposed, I'm very hopeful that my electorate of Corangamite—which has a rich history in the arts sector, with several iconic Australian films and television shows having been shot in the electorate, including Mad Maxwill continue to be a location of choice for film and television productions. Summer Love, by the ABC, was also filmed in this location. Mad Max has been instrumental in shaping the identity of the region and has brought much joy and pride to the people who call Corangamite home. Mad Max was filmed in Victoria in the 1970s, and its iconic scenes were captured just a stone's throw from where I live. The film became a cult classic, and its influence can still be seen in popular culture today. But it wasn't just the action and suspense that made Mad Max a beloved film. It explored themes of survival, justice and human spirit in the face of adversity. It was a game changer for the Australian film industry. It was one of the first films to use Australian locations, crew and talent in such a significant way.

Mad Max paved the way for many other great productions on the Surf Coast and the Bellarine. These have included the Tomorrow, When the War Began series, which saw the production blow up a car on a bridge at Barwon Heads, and the iconic ABC program SeaChange, which we may all remember. That's why I'm so thrilled to see Netflix's Summer Love continue this proud tradition. Surviving Summer returns to our region as well, and the government's steps to improve funding will ensure, hopefully, that films like this will continue to be made in my region. Not only do they support actors but they support our economy and, as I've said earlier, they showcase our region, our country, to the world.

As a consequence of this bill, my home region is also thriving. It has a live music scene. We've got the Queenscliff Music Festival and the Meredith Music Festival, through to the likes of Midnight Oil and the soon-to-arrive Rod Stewart at the Mt Duneed Estate and, of course, the infamous Torquay Hotel, which is an icon on the Surf Coast. This venue will soon feature the likes of Peking Duk and the Grogans and has previously hosted famous Australian band Skegss.

Finally, I'd like to acknowledge the importance of this funding in ensuring that First Nations stories are supported and told through our creative arts sector. The stories of First Nations people go back tens of thousands of years. Their stories have been told in painting, in dance, in music and in ceremonies. They have been told on country, in caves, on beaches and under stars. Stories of country have survived and defied colonialism. We find ourselves at an astonishing moment in the Australian arts, culture, heritage and nationhood. First Nations writers, filmmakers and artists are producing energising works, producing some of our best novels, paintings, poems, films and theatre. It's these new and unique stories from First Nations people and the creative arts sector as a whole that bring us together. Our artists help us celebrate what makes us different and rejoice in what we share. It is through these many and varied forms of art that we build our national identity and that our regions are promoted to the world.

This bill represents an exciting chapter for the future of the creative workforce and how we share our unique stories across diverse mediums. It builds on a proud legacy of prime ministers Gough Whitlam and Paul Keating. These strong advocates of Australian arts understood the vital role of the sector in developing national identity, social unity and economic success. Julia Gillard and former minister for the arts Simon Crean established Creative Australia in 2013. It is this government's proud privilege to continue the tradition of these Labor leaders. I'm confident that this bill would provide the support artists need to thrive and grow, and I'm excited to see our extraordinary and diverse Australian stories continue to be told with originality and creativity. To return to the words of our great former prime minister Gough Whitlam:

… we are creating the conditions for a renascence of Australian creativity.

I hope that everyone endorses this bill. It will make a huge difference to our creative arts sector and all those who work in it.

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