Sarah Hanson-Young (SA, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to acknowledge the amazing work and life that the Australian music industry brings to each and every one of us in this country. The Australian music industry—the artists, the producers, the managers, the writers—has had it pretty tough for the last few years.

Today is the last day of Australian Music Month. We've got a bunch of musicians and artist promoters in the building, showing us exactly what their industry is made of and what the industry needs. We've got representatives from ARIA and APRA. We've got the brothers from Lime Cordiale here, Louis and Oli. And we've got the amazing Amy Taylor from Amyl and the Sniffers in town. The music legend Michael Chugg—or Chuggi, Mr Acting Deputy President Sterle; I know the two of you are good friends—is here as well. These representatives from the music industry are here because they are calling on us as the parliament to start standing up for them, to protect their industry and to help their industry to get back on its feet after the horrendous last couple of years, from the bushfires in the summer of 2019-20 right through to COVID. Now, as the next summer festival season comes around, the industry is struggling to get back up on its feet because of the extreme weather and extreme flooding we're dealing with. We've seen all those pictures and stories of artists and festival-goers having to manage in the midst of events that are being washed and flooded out.

The contemporary music industry in this country has largely existed and grown successfully in spite of a lack of support, from a national policy perspective. We know that the Minister for the Arts, Mr Tony Burke, is currently undertaking a culture policy review, and we look forward to seeing the results of that handed down hopefully in coming weeks. One of the things the industry has been calling for is the creation of Music Australia, similar to the agency that already exists for screen, Screen Australia. It's kind of crazy that we're in 2022, our music industry is one of our most successful exports in this country and it contributes billions of dollars to our economy, yet it is the one part of the arts industry and creative industry in Australia that does not have its own dedicated government agency. I think it is time for us to establish Music Australia, to allow a government agency that can bring together government policies and industry expertise and advice all in one place, just as we have with Screen Australia, which is so important to underpinning the growth and expertise within our screen industry.

The cost-benefit ratio of investing in our music industry is so obvious. We know that the live music industry alone is worth $16 billion. That's the live music industry. Think about all of the jobs that come from that, the life that is put into our suburbs, cities and towns and the ability for people to engage and connect. It is truly about enriching community. The amount of export that the Australian music industry contributes is phenomenal. So if we are reviewing Australia's artistic policies, our creative policies, why would we not look ahead and say, 'Look, a Music Australia agency in this country is exactly what we need, and we should fund it'?

I call on the Minister for the Arts. He's got all of the evidence in front of him. I know he is a dedicated lover of Australian music. Let's turn those words into action. Here in this place today, that's exactly what these musicians and promoters and those working in the industry are calling for: $100 million in recurrent funding for the establishment and continuation of Music Australia. It would be money well spent. It would ensure that Australia's musicians and artists can continue to grow and invest not just locally but of course on the international stage as well. So it's wonderful to have them in the building today. I hope that my colleagues here in this place and the other place engage and listen and talk to them about what is needed.

A warning sign for this government. We've had a decade of attacks on the creative industry. The last government did virtually nothing but tear down artists in this country. Then, when they needed us more than ever, in the midst of COVID—we know it was our artists who were hit hardest and first because of COVID, and they are still struggling to get back on their feet—the previous government said, 'Tough luck.' Well, we have seen a change of government. We've seen a change of many seats, and the make-up of this place has changed. It is time that we listened to the Australian community and our artists and said, 'Actually, that's not good enough anymore.' The creative industries are essential to making this country lucky, to making this country the best country on earth, to ensuring that we can tell our stories and hear our own stories and reflect on who we are through various creative means. This is essential if we are to progress Australia in a positive light. Our kids deserve it and our artists deserve it. Those who are here today deserve to be heard.