What should Australian governments be doing now to make the most of their cultural investment? In a fiscally challenging environment, data indicates that governments should pursue strategic and structural change to maximise government investment in Australia’s arts and culture system. Governments can act now to establish a long-term approach to cultural policy that is multi-partisan and multi-government. This paper identifies actions and big picture opportunities.

Research shows that arts, culture and creativity is a core driver of flourishing people, cohesive communities, resilient economies, productive nations and connected regions. Australian governments can leverage significant momentum for action on the role of culture and creativity in driving wellbeing and productivity, galvanised by Brisbane 2032 and its potential for generational cultural, social and economic impacts.

Key findings

• Government investment in arts and culture increased in 2023–24. This is the highest level of investment recorded in 17 years of data. 
• Government investment in arts and culture is not keeping pace with population growth. 
• On a GDP basis, Australia is spending around one-quarter less than its OECD peers on ‘recreation, culture and religion’. 
• The scale of state and territory governments’ annual investment in arts and culture now surpasses that of the federal government.
• Capital expenditure consumes an increasing share of government investment in arts and culture.

Key recommendations

• Governments should create the right conditions for collaboration with a 10-year National Arts and Culture Strategy, and a Ministerial Council focused on cultural access and the cultural and creative industries. 
• All levels of government should utilise the full suite of government enabling actions to complement and enhance current direct funding by government. 
• All levels of government should deliver better data for confident decision-making by improving data collection and analysis.