Local Government Funding of Culture and Recreation

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    Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS)

    OVERVIEW

    Since 1993-94 the NCCRS has been funded by the Cultural Ministers Council to compile government expenditure on culture on a yearly basis. Data are sought through budget papers and Arts departments to collect data on expenditure from the Commonwealth and State/Territory Governments. However, for local government funding, administrative sources for obtaining detailed information are not readily available, and consequently data are collected by means of a survey of local government authorities.

    The Local Government Funding of Culture and Recreation Survey is a triennial survey of local government authorities which collects information about the recurrent and capital funding allocated for culture and recreation purposes. For the two intervening financial years, estimates are made using information from the most recent survey and applied to data from the ABS Public Finance System.

    In the years prior to the 2000-01 reference year, the local government survey concentrated on funding for mainly cultural activities. For 2000-01 the collection also covers sport and physical recreation funding.

    The survey is part of a wider collection which also collate information from the Commonwealth and State and Territiory Governments.

    PURPOSE

    Governments in Australia provide considerable financial support to the culture and recreation sector each year. The Local Government Funding of Culture and Recreation Survey and the supplementary information collected from Commonwealth and State and Territory Governments provide the Cultural Ministers Council Statistics Working Group (CMC SWG) and the Recreation and Sport Industry Statistics Group (RSISG) with data which informs policy and decision making by goverments and the cultural and recreational industry sector. The key data outputs are a breakdown of funding by all levels of government into a detailed group of culture and recreation categories. Data are also available on capital and recurrent funding.

    SCOPE

    Sample, stratified by size and State/Territory, was selected from all local government authorities in Australia.

    DATA DETAIL

    Conceptual framework

    The statistical framework used in presenting local government cultural funding data was based on the four major groups within the Recreation and Culture section of the Government Purpose Classification (GPC) used by the ABS in compiling Government Finance statistics. Within each of the four major groups, selected categories or groups of categories from the Cultural Ministers Council's National Culture/Leisure Industry Statistical Framework have been incorporated.

    From 2000-01 onwards, the categories of funding used are based upon the relevant classes of the Australian Culture and Leisure Classifications which were released by the ABS in 2001. There are 17 Culture and selected recreation categories and 8 Sport and physical recreation categories in the survey. These will aggregate to the Culture and Recreation GPC codes in the Government Finance statistics.

    Main outputs

    The main outputs from the local government funding collection are: estimates of total funding by State and Territory; type of activity or institution being funded; and whether the funding was for capital or recurrent activity. Data have been collected on a consistent basis for cultural categories since 1994-95 allowing trends over time to be examined.

    State and Territory and local government data can be compared across jurisdictions with caution (allowing for different administrative arrangements which may exist across States and Territories). Funding per head of population can also be compared.

    Classifications

    Government cultural funding is classified into three major groups: Cultural facilities and services, Broadcasting and film, and Culture n.e.c. The first two groups correspond with subgroups of the Government Purpose Classification (GPC) used by the ABS in compiling Government Financial Estimates, while Culture n.e.c. presents only the culture component of the two other subgroups in the GPC grouping ‘Recreation and Culture’. The three groups used in this publication are then further subdivided in accordance with categories specified in the National Culture/Leisure Industry Statistical Framework (The Statistical Advisory Group of the Cultural Ministers Council, fourth edition, 1989).

    Up until the 1999-2000 financial year, funding was classified by 19 categories of culture and recreation activities which align with with the National Culture/Leisure Industry Statistical Framework. From 2000-01 onwards, there will be 17 Culture and selected recreation categories and 8 Sport and physical recreation categories which align with the Australian Culture and Leisure Classifications (ABS Cat.No. 4902.0, 2001).

    Other concepts (summary)

    Not applicable

    GEOGRAPHIC DETAIL
    1. National & State/Territory\1.01 Australia
    1. National & State/Territory\1.03 Selected States or Territories only\1.03.01 New South Wales
    1. National & State/Territory\1.03 Selected States or Territories only\1.03.02 Victoria
    1. National & State/Territory\1.03 Selected States or Territories only\1.03.03 Queensland
    1. National & State/Territory\1.03 Selected States or Territories only\1.03.04 South Australia
    1. National & State/Territory\1.03 Selected States or Territories only\1.03.05 Western Australia
    1. National & State/Territory\1.03 Selected States or Territories only\1.03.06 Tasmania
    1. National & State/Territory\1.03 Selected States or Territories only\1.03.07 Northern Territory

    Comments and/or Other Regions



    COLLECTION FREQUENCY
    3 Yearly

    Frequency comments

    Subject to user funding.

    COLLECTION HISTORY

    The first local government culture and recreation funding survey was conducted in respect of 92-93 for the Australia Council.

    The survey was repeated in respect of 1993-94, 1994-95 and 1997-98 for the Cultural Ministers Council (CMC)

    An expanded survey (to include sport and physical recreation) is being conducted with respect to 2000-01 for the CMC and the Sport and Recreation Ministers' Council.

    DATA AVAILABILITY
    Yes

    Data availability comments




    DATE OF LAST UPDATE FOR THIS DOCUMENT
    22/01/2002 04:31 PM