Mr MILLS - 2001-07-04
Every year the NT government spends $2.6m to help many grassroots artists in their endeavours. Could the minister detail the latest sponsorship grants, and also explain how the Northern Territory government is supporting artists across the Territory?
Ms Martin: Read the annual report.
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I notice the Opposition Leader says read the annual report, but of course as she would realise, these details are not yet in the annual report, so a rather flippant interjection I would have thought.
This is a good news, doing government, story and I would like at this stage actually to give members a snapshot of where the latest round of grants have been allocated.
Mrs Hickey: Who is handing out the cheques, candidates?
Mr ADAMSON: I see, Mr Speaker, the opposition simply do not like to hear. The opposition should be in fact championing, like members on this side of the House. But, the Northern Territory government is on the record and noted as the greatest sponsor of the arts in any jurisdiction in the country. We have been for virtually the best part of two decades and no doubt that will continue in the future.
In the latest round of funding, we have allocated more than half of the pool, in fact $143 000, which will be going to Darwin-based art groups. The other half will be split between the different regions in the Territory: nine projects worth a total of about $60 000 will be going to Alice Springs artistic groups; two projects worth in the vicinity of $10 000 will be allocated to Katherine; five projects worth $13 000 to Tennant Creek; two projects worth $15 000 to two of the Territory’s remote areas and an additional two projects worth about $9000 will be touring the remote Top End.
Some of the funded projects will include short plays on various issues: there will be a multi-media production which will be staged in the World War II tunnels during the Festival of Darwin; the Knock ‘em Down Theatre production of Road House which is following on from the 1999 production of Block; and the screening of French films at the Deck Chair Cinema and the Museum Theatrette will also take place. I would encourage all arts groups to investigate avenues of funding and certainly encourage all Territorians to support and patronise a wide variety of programs that have been sponsored and funded by this government, that simply would not be happening unless that funding was granted.
I would like to point out to members the Australian Bureau of Statistics publication, Cultural Funding in Australia - Three Years of Government annual report, so I suppose this is something that the Leader of the Opposition would like to hear about. It positions the Northern Territory per-person arts and funding level at $355.50 which is nearly four times the state and territory average - four times. We allocate each year $2.6m to support artists in the Northern Territory, and many of these are of course grassroots productions. I think members would agree that the split is a fair one, with the regions doing very well in terms of support and sponsorship, while not of course forgetting the critical mass here in Darwin as well.
I would like on behalf of all members on this side who actively lobbied for arts groups - and I can say that I think I have had absolutely zero lobbying from the opposition over the last twelve months or so. Counteracting that, on this side of the fence, some of the lobbying almost borders on the level of harassment by some of the members here. I won’t go into particular names, but I do feel like ducking under the desk at times when a few of them walk through the door, because they are constantly lobbying. I will check my files to be 100% sure, but I am not aware of one single approach from any member of the opposition that we have had, in terms of that situation. And even if there had been one or two, it is infinitesimal compared to this side of things.
So I would encourage, as I said, Territorians to come and support these particular productions. I certainly thank my colleagues on this side of the Chamber for their active support in joining the Northern Territory government in backing the arts here in the Northern Territory.
Mr PALMER (Leader of Government Business): Mr Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Question Paper.
Ms Martin: Read the annual report.
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I notice the Opposition Leader says read the annual report, but of course as she would realise, these details are not yet in the annual report, so a rather flippant interjection I would have thought.
This is a good news, doing government, story and I would like at this stage actually to give members a snapshot of where the latest round of grants have been allocated.
Mrs Hickey: Who is handing out the cheques, candidates?
Mr ADAMSON: I see, Mr Speaker, the opposition simply do not like to hear. The opposition should be in fact championing, like members on this side of the House. But, the Northern Territory government is on the record and noted as the greatest sponsor of the arts in any jurisdiction in the country. We have been for virtually the best part of two decades and no doubt that will continue in the future.
In the latest round of funding, we have allocated more than half of the pool, in fact $143 000, which will be going to Darwin-based art groups. The other half will be split between the different regions in the Territory: nine projects worth a total of about $60 000 will be going to Alice Springs artistic groups; two projects worth in the vicinity of $10 000 will be allocated to Katherine; five projects worth $13 000 to Tennant Creek; two projects worth $15 000 to two of the Territory’s remote areas and an additional two projects worth about $9000 will be touring the remote Top End.
Some of the funded projects will include short plays on various issues: there will be a multi-media production which will be staged in the World War II tunnels during the Festival of Darwin; the Knock ‘em Down Theatre production of Road House which is following on from the 1999 production of Block; and the screening of French films at the Deck Chair Cinema and the Museum Theatrette will also take place. I would encourage all arts groups to investigate avenues of funding and certainly encourage all Territorians to support and patronise a wide variety of programs that have been sponsored and funded by this government, that simply would not be happening unless that funding was granted.
I would like to point out to members the Australian Bureau of Statistics publication, Cultural Funding in Australia - Three Years of Government annual report, so I suppose this is something that the Leader of the Opposition would like to hear about. It positions the Northern Territory per-person arts and funding level at $355.50 which is nearly four times the state and territory average - four times. We allocate each year $2.6m to support artists in the Northern Territory, and many of these are of course grassroots productions. I think members would agree that the split is a fair one, with the regions doing very well in terms of support and sponsorship, while not of course forgetting the critical mass here in Darwin as well.
I would like on behalf of all members on this side who actively lobbied for arts groups - and I can say that I think I have had absolutely zero lobbying from the opposition over the last twelve months or so. Counteracting that, on this side of the fence, some of the lobbying almost borders on the level of harassment by some of the members here. I won’t go into particular names, but I do feel like ducking under the desk at times when a few of them walk through the door, because they are constantly lobbying. I will check my files to be 100% sure, but I am not aware of one single approach from any member of the opposition that we have had, in terms of that situation. And even if there had been one or two, it is infinitesimal compared to this side of things.
So I would encourage, as I said, Territorians to come and support these particular productions. I certainly thank my colleagues on this side of the Chamber for their active support in joining the Northern Territory government in backing the arts here in the Northern Territory.
Mr PALMER (Leader of Government Business): Mr Speaker, I ask that further questions be placed on the Question Paper.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016