Ewen Jones (Herbert, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) notes that:

(a) as a nation we have some of the world’s best artists, performers and administrators of the arts;

(b) the recently held Regional Arts Australia Summit in Kalgoorlie-Boulder was a great success;

(c) the Government:

  (i) is a strong supporter of the Arts in Australia and recognises the importance art plays in our regional communities; and

  (ii) continues to make national exhibitions and performing arts companies accessible to regional Australia; and

  (iii) encourages our national institutions and performing arts companies to have a substantial presence in our regional communities; and

(2) recognises The Regional Arts Fund provides important funding towards high quality arts projects which leads to strong community engagement.

One of the huge gifts you get when you are an auctioneer is the exposure to things which you would normally not have been in contact with, from heavy machinery to fine bone china. You get an appreciation for what makes up this world, so it is with this role in parliament. The things to which we are exposed, should we accept the invitation, truly expand our horizons and open our minds, so it is with the arts. Being a regional MP, it is also gratifying to know that you do not have to travel to Brisbane, Sydney or Melbourne to gain an appreciation for the arts in this country.

I was challenged by the Minister for Arts, Senator the Hon. George Brandis, to represent my city and region at last year's regional arts conference in Kalgoorlie. Kalgoorlie is a long way from Townsville, but it was a great trip. To know and understand that my city is not alone in pushing the arts from a regional perspective was an eye-opener. There are dynamic people all over this country pushing an inclusive arts agenda from a regional position. To meet and chat with people from organisations such as the Australia Council and other major bodies to discuss my city's presence in the arts landscape was worth the trip.

Minister Brandis was also asked the role of the councils in the arts landscape. He said you first have to understand the nature of local government in each state. My state of Queensland has larger, broader based regional style councils. This contrasts with states like New South Wales and Victoria, which have smaller, more internally focused councils. Neither is right nor wrong but it does show what a minister must consider when looking at arts funding and why there will never be a one-size-fits-all solution.

I am proud to stand beside my minister, who was able to ensure that the regional arts funding was quarantined in my government's two budgets. In my city of Townsville, the arts enjoy the strong backing of our mayor, Jenny Hill, a dynamic council team headed by Jeff Jimmieson and a local lead councillor, Suzanne Blom.

Queensland's Perc Tucker Regional Gallery regularly presents major exhibitions such as the famous Lego exhibition, Brick by Brick. This show saw 102,320 people, many from outside Townsville, come to see it. It is Australia's most visited regional gallery and we are expecting over 120,000 people to attend this year's Strand Ephemera—a collection of original outdoor artworks which will line our iconic shoreline. Gallery CEO, Shane Fitzgerald, is entrepreneurial in his outlook and continues to push for more space and better, bigger and more brilliant shows with an international look from a regional perspective.

We are home to the Australian Festival of Chamber Music. This festival, headed by Sue Hackett, is entering its 25th year. Artistic director, Piers Lane, brings world-class artists to Townsville each year. They conduct tutorials for our children and young musicians. They show that you can love music and it will love you back. They take music from the concert halls to the beaches of Magnetic Island and Palm Island, from Townsville schools to underground mine shafts in Mount Isa. From the cello to the didgeridoo, from the Steinway to the piano accordion, from the violin to the wooden box, the program is inclusive and hugely entertaining.

Opera Queensland brings it productions to Townsville and enlists locals with no musical experience in their shows. They do this all over the state because they have a great product and fantastic audiences, and they want to share. Dance North, Umbrella Studio, North Queensland theatrical groups, the Barrier Reef Symphony Orchestra and the 1RAR band all form part of our varied arts landscape. All are supported by our federal government in one form or another, which understands the importance of participation and the need to take these things from the Opera House and put them in the shire halls.

Townsville is a great city but it is more than just a port, a defence base and a massively important regional home for sporting teams and V8 car races. We are a thriving and expanding arts hub for Northern Australia. We have an important role to play, not just in regional Australia but in the fabric of our entire country and our entire society. This government supports places like Townsville because we know that Australia is more than just Sydney and Melbourne. We are more than just capital cities. We are a government for all of Australia and the arts are an amazing and hugely important part of that. Our CBD is going through a redevelopment and our priority development areas are going in that. We have the Civic Theatre being redeveloped and plans in that space. The arts will have a major part in the redevelopment of our CBD. We know we are not going to get another football team, another V8 car race or another basketball franchise. What we will be able to do is expand our arts centre, and our educational, arts and cultural tourism to appreciate those sorts of people and bring those people to our town. That is what we as a country must do. We must embrace it. I thank the House.

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