Australian Bureau of Statistics
Celebrating the International Year of Statistics 2013

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GOVERNMENT FUNDING

In 2005-06, government funding for cultural activities totalled $5,449.7m, with state and territory governments providing almost half (48% or $2,598.1m), the Australian Government contributing 35% ($1,878.4m), and local government making up the balance of 18% ($973.2m).

Funding for capital expenditure accounted for 12% of cultural funding by all levels of government, while recurrent expenditure accounted for the remaining 88%.

Apart from direct funding, the Australian Government also provides assistance through tax concessions such as the Cultural Gifts Program, which offers tax deductions to encourage the donation of items of cultural significance to public art galleries, museums and libraries.

According to the Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts (DCITA) Annual Report for 2005-06, 615 donations were made to the program in that year with a total value of $28.9m.

In 2005-06, the majority of Australian Government cultural funding supported Arts activities ($1,406.2m or 75% of total Australian Government funding). Broadcasting and film was the main beneficiary receiving over half of the total funding provided ($1,141.3m or 61%).

In contrast, state and territory governments directed the majority of their funding to Heritage activities ($2,142.1m or 82%) in 2005-06. Nature parks and reserves received $1,016.3m representing 39% of the total state and territory government funding for cultural activities.

4.1 CULTURAL FUNDING BY LEVEL OF GOVERNMENT - 2005-06
			Value of funding	Percentage of total
			$m	%
Australian Government
	Heritage
		Art museums and galleries	54.7	1.0
		Other museums	199.6	3.7
		Nature parks and reserves(a)	75.2	1.4
		Zoological parks, aquaria and botanic gardens	8.6	0.2
		Libraries and archives	134.1	2.5
		Total	472.2	8.7
	Arts
		Literature and print media	29.5	0.5
		Performing arts	111.0	2.0
		Performing arts venues	-	-
		Visual arts and crafts	17.3	0.3
		Broadcasting and film	1 141.3	20.9
		Community cultural centres and activities	10.0	0.2
		Administration of culture	49.3	0.9
		Other arts n.e.c.	47.8	0.9
		Total	1 406.2	25.8
	Total		1 878.4	34.5
State and territory governments
	Heritage
		Art museums and galleries	214.0	3.9
		Other museums	306.6	5.6
		Nature parks and reserves	1 016.3	18.6
		Zoological parks, aquaria and botanic gardens	163.6	3.0
		Libraries and archives	441.7	8.1
		Total	2 142.1	39.3
	Arts
		Literature and print media	4.2	0.1
		Performing arts	80.2	1.5
		Performing arts venues	183.7	3.4
		Visual arts and crafts	17.1	0.3
		Broadcasting and film	76.4	1.4
		Community cultural centres and activities	15.0	0.3
		Administration of culture	37.6	0.7
		Other arts n.e.c.	41.7	0.8
		Total	456.0	8.4
	Total		2 598.1	47.7
Local government			973.2	17.9
Total funding by all levels of government			5 449.7	100.0
- nil or rounded to zero (including null cells)
(a) Data for this category has been estimated based on previous year's data and should be used with caution.
Source: ABS, Cultural Funding by Government, 2005-06 (cat. no. 4183.0).

The Australian Government and state and territory governments increased their funding of cultural activities over the period 2002-03 to 2005-06. Australian Government funding increased by 12.4% and state and territory government funding increased by 13.3%. Local government funding of cultural activities increased by 8.4% over the period 2004-05 to 2005-06.

4.2 CULTURAL FUNDING, 2002-03 to 2005-06