Elise Archer,Minister for the Arts
The Tasmanian Government is continually working on ways to support those who have been impacted as a result of COVID-19.
The State's cultural and creative sector has been high on our priority list especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, and this has been reflected in the level of support we have provided to the sector.
We have announced $3.5 million in support for the industry in response to COVID-19, and provided $3 million to TMAG through our Public Building Fund for important maintenance works.
In addition to this funding, Cultural and Creative Industries businesses have accessed $4.3 million through the Business Loans and Grants stimulus support program.
To the credit of Labor Arts spokesperson, Jen Butler, she did finally get the figure ($179 million) correct regarding what the sector is worth to the Tasmanian economy, as she previously stated it was $127 million just last month.
I would also like to remind Ms Butler that New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland do in fact have significantly larger populations than Tasmania, so naturally those States' industry support packages will be larger.
If Ms Butler actually did her research, she would have discovered that Tasmania has actually provided the largest* level of assistance for the Cultural and Creative sector compared to those three states on a per capita basis:
Tasmania per capita contribution - $6.52*
NSW per capita contribution - $6.15
Victoria per capita contribution - $2.86
Queensland per capita contribution - $4.39
I have spoken with many individuals and organisations who are extremely delighted and grateful for the significant support our Government is providing to the cultural and creative sector throughout this challenging period.
Our Government will continue to look at more ways to support the arts, and I will continue to work constructively with those individuals and organisations who make our creative and cultural sector so great.
