Rowan Ramsey (Grey, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's good to see you in that chair, Mr Deputy Speaker Hogan. Last Friday was a special day for the arts centres of the APY lands and their contributing artists in the far north-west of South Australia, when the APY Art Centre Collective opened its own gallery in Darlinghurst, Sydney. I was very pleased to represent Senator Nigel Scullion at the event. I thank the minister for his personal and financial support of this project. Special recognition of the work of establishing this project must go to Skye O'Mara, the CEO and, recently, the arts coordinator at one of the centres on the lands. The Indigenous Entrepreneurs Fund has provided $107,000, and another $39,000 was from the Jobs, Land and Economy Program. Indigenous Business Australia is providing a $100,000 package, including—I think, very importantly—a $49,000 loan, giving it a very business feel, if you like.

There are about 3,000 people living on the lands, and very few jobs not directly reliant on the taxpayer for their existence. Basically, they are service jobs, and independent businesses are rare. The art centres are quite different. They are small business enterprises selling an article to the outside world. Currently, after production, transport and commission, artists receive 36 per cent of the face value of their proceeds. Owning their own vertically integrated marketing system would dramatically cut the costs—in particular, commission—and artists will receive 56 per cent of their sale proceeds. Increased reward for effort is a powerful and important message, and it will provide an extra 35 jobs across the seven centres.