4147.4.55.001 - Culture and Recreation News, Jan 2004  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 31/01/2004   
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CULTURAL FUNDING BY GOVERNMENT CONTINUES TO RISE

Total government funding for cultural activities increased by $238.8m or 5% in 2001-02 to reach $4,676.8m. This latest financial year's data continued a trend that has been apparent for the last four years, especially in the lead up to the Centenary of Federation celebrations, where government expenditure on culture grew by almost $900m or 23% between 1998-99 and 2001-02. Cultural funding per person by all levels of government totalled $238.60 for every person in Australia in 2001-02.

The state and territory governments led the way in 2001-02 contributing 47% ($2,215.2m) of total government funding while the Commonwealth provided 35% ($1,619.6m) and local governments 18% ($841.9m). The majority of Commonwealth and state and territory government funding was allocated to Broadcasting and film ($988.9m), Nature parks and reserves ($977.4m), Other museums ($493.7m) and Libraries and archives ($466.7m).

With the winding down of Federation Fund projects, the Commonwealth Government's expenditure on culture fell 2% in 2001-02 while the state and territory governments' funding of culture rose by 16% when compared to the previous financial year. In particular, the Commonwealth Government cut spending on Other museums (down $79.5m to $227.4m), Community cultural activities (down $28.6m to $21.8m) and Other arts n.e.c. (down $17.1m to $44.5m) although spending increased in the areas of Libraries and archives (up $28.4m to $111.4m) and Broadcasting and film (up $52.6m to $914.0m).

The state and territory governments increased spending on Art museums (up $82.1m to $176.5m), Libraries and archives (up $39.7m to $355.3m), Performing arts venues (up $68.2m to $161.7m) and Broadcasting and film (up $31.1m to $74.9m).

These findings were published in Cultural Funding by Government, Australia, 2001-02 . A slightly more detailed report on this collection of data, Cultural Funding in Australia, Three Tiers of Government, 2001-02, has been prepared by NCCRS for the Cultural Ministers Council Statistics Working Group and is expected to become available on their web site at <http://www.dcita.gov.au/swg>.