This was published 10 years ago
Federal Budget 2015: Australia Council loses $104m, funneled to Arts Ministry
Updated ,first published
Federal budget 2015: Full coverage
The Australia Council's loss is George Brandis' gain.
The government announced in Tuesday's budget that it would establish a new National Programme for Excellence in the Arts. With funding of $104.7 million over four years, the program will "deliver on a number of government priorities including providing national access to quality arts and cultural experiences". It will be administered by the Ministry for the Arts in Senator Brandis' Attorney-General's Department.
The program will be funded by stripping $104.7 million from the Australia Council, which operates at arm's length from the government of the day.
Responsibility for the Major Festivals Initiative and the Festivals Australia program will also be redirected from the Australia Council to the Ministry of Arts.
The Australia Council will also swallow $7.2 million in efficiency savings over four years to 2018-19. These combined cuts represent an annual funding reduction of around 13 per cent for the nation's principal arts and funding body, which has an annual budget of $230 million.
Funding for Screen Australia, which supports new Australian films, will be cut by $3.6 million over the same period.
There were no funding changes for the ABC and SBS, which were cut by approximately $300 million over five years in November.