Mrs AAGAARD - 2005-05-04
Last year, you provided increased funding to major festivals. Can you please advise what you are doing to assist the smaller festivals of the regional and remote communities of the Northern Territory?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, that is a great question from the member for the Seabreeze Festival for Nightcliff. Territorians love festivals and, as Tourism Minister, I know that tourists love our festivals as well. They are something that supports our Territory lifestyle. They are fun, they create jobs across the Territory, bring dollars and generate economic activity. We have been very strong in supporting festivals wherever they are around the Territory, from north to south.
Last year, we increased funding to four big festivals: the Darwin Festival; the Alice Springs Festival; Garma; and the International Guitar Festival, which is biennial. We increased funding to those festivals by $350 000. If you look at the success of both Alice and Darwin last year, they were underpinned by that significant increase in funding.
However, there are other festivals around the Territory which also deserve significant funding. For example, they range from festivals at Merrepen in the Daly to the Jabiru Wind Festival, Desert Harmony in Tennant Creek, and the Flying Fox in Katherine. In fact, across the Territory, there are 26 festivals. The well-targeted and terrific budget that the Treasurer brought down yesterday had a $400 000 increase to our wonderful Territory festivals. That means over two years, to support festivals right across the Territory, a $750 000 increase on top of the funding that was there.
Certainly, it is about the arts and celebrating the arts. It is also about growing tourism. I can tell the House that arts and tourism work very closely together in making sure we are effectively marketing those festivals that are so different and unique across the Territory. It is targeted, terrific funding, supporting our lifestyle and moving this Territory ahead.
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, that is a great question from the member for the Seabreeze Festival for Nightcliff. Territorians love festivals and, as Tourism Minister, I know that tourists love our festivals as well. They are something that supports our Territory lifestyle. They are fun, they create jobs across the Territory, bring dollars and generate economic activity. We have been very strong in supporting festivals wherever they are around the Territory, from north to south.
Last year, we increased funding to four big festivals: the Darwin Festival; the Alice Springs Festival; Garma; and the International Guitar Festival, which is biennial. We increased funding to those festivals by $350 000. If you look at the success of both Alice and Darwin last year, they were underpinned by that significant increase in funding.
However, there are other festivals around the Territory which also deserve significant funding. For example, they range from festivals at Merrepen in the Daly to the Jabiru Wind Festival, Desert Harmony in Tennant Creek, and the Flying Fox in Katherine. In fact, across the Territory, there are 26 festivals. The well-targeted and terrific budget that the Treasurer brought down yesterday had a $400 000 increase to our wonderful Territory festivals. That means over two years, to support festivals right across the Territory, a $750 000 increase on top of the funding that was there.
Certainly, it is about the arts and celebrating the arts. It is also about growing tourism. I can tell the House that arts and tourism work very closely together in making sure we are effectively marketing those festivals that are so different and unique across the Territory. It is targeted, terrific funding, supporting our lifestyle and moving this Territory ahead.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016