Deputy Speaker, last year the Tasmanian Arts Minister was advised that “dangerously low” arts funding had left the sector “highly vulnerable”. Indeed, I regularly hear the same from folks in the industry who make a strong case for more support.
In response, the Tasmanian Government made much of an announcement earlier this year of a short-term funding boost for the sector; and highlighted the importance of the screen industry in particular.
So you can imagine how shocked I was to read in The Mercury this week that funding for Screen Tasmania will fall by $300,000 in 2027-28, and that arts organisations, including Screen Tasmania, will need to compete with heritage programs for funding from the Creative Industries Fund.
Deputy Speaker, Tasmanian creatives are some of the best in the country, and we have unique stories to tell. That’s why Screen Tasmania has been so successful in fostering creative investments and projects, including wildly successful shows like Alone Australia, RoseHaven, and The Survivors. But clearly, the State and Federal governments undervalue the sector in Tasmania and think they can keep going, just on the smell of an oily rag.
So, Speaker, I call on governments to get serious about lifting arts funding to better support Tasmanian artists and storytellers, and for the State Government in particular, to stop gutting funding elsewhere to pay for its vanity stadium project.
Thank you, Deputy Speaker.