More WA election promises for music industry

Western Australia’s music industry is being wooed by the major political parties before the state election on March 11.

Last November, research conducted by Edith Cowan University for peak music association WAM found that the state’s music industry is worth nearly $1 billion to the WA economy. It also created nearly 3,000 full time jobs, and accounted for wages of $149 million. The study concluded that each additional investment of $1 million doubled its economic impact.

At the weekend when the two largest parties launched their policies, Premier Colin Barnett arrived to the sounds of Daft Punk’s One More Time, while Opposition leader Mark McGowan of Labor WA chose the Aussie classic TNT by AC/DC.

Labor has promised the most to the music industry if voted in. Earlier in the campaign, it announced a $3 million creative development package to boost emerging and export-ready acts to help the next Tame Impala launch themselves beyond WA.

The package will also protect existing live music venues through the adoption of Victoria’s Agent of Change and help new ones start by cutting back on red tape.

Now Labor has committed $200,000 to support for the regional music sector. Musicians in the Northern Goldfields will get recording time to create quality demos for broadcast on community radio.

It comes in the wake of WAM’s successful Sounds Of… recording projects in the Goldfields and Wiluna, which has unearthed a large amount of talent. These communities wanted more recording projects.

“There was a huge interest in the recording of local stories through song, from local people in Leonora, Laverton and Mt Margaret, Cosmo Newberry and Mulga Queen,” said Labor candidate for Kalgoorlie, Darren Forster.

WA’s arts sector has expressed annoyance that core funding from the Government has dropped to 0.5% from 1.1% in 2001 at a time when private donations and sponsorships have also dropped.

It blames lacklustre Government career and skills development policies for employment in the arts and creative sector being 3.76% of the state’s total workforce, while the national average sits at 5.29%.

It also shows Patterson Market Research data from last year that 95% believe their children should have access to arts and culture, and 71% think Government should increase its investment.

For the arts sector, Labor promised $10 million for the Art Gallery of WA rooftop to be developed as a cultural and commercial venue.

Four high schools will get performing centres, while $2 million per annum from Royalties for Regions will expand touring art exhibitions and promote regional museums.

The Liberal National Coalition has committed $1 million to bring back the Metropolitan Events Scheme. It will allow local councils and community organisations to apply for funding of up to $20,000 to deliver events like free concerts, which will encourage new music talent and event producers, as well as arts and food festivals, free theatre, sporting competitions and street fairs.

“Our community spirit is what makes Western Australia such a wonderful and vibrant place to live,” Barnett said. “These sorts of community events attract visitors and inject new vibrancy into towns and suburbs.

The Coalition remains committed to its $24 million Creative Regions four-year program. It hints it will extend it past its 2017 expiry date to upgrade venues and help with initial touring.

The Bunbury Art Centre and Stirling Street Arts Centre will get $1 million each for redevelopment.

Greens WA will push for public funding for drug-content testing at music festivals. Their policy is that governments should help the music and arts sectors grow through funding and providing facilities because they are “fundamental aspects of social wellbeing” and should be available to everyone in the state.

The party also believes in promoting and training local talent, that local governments should play a larger role in developing the arts, and grassroots and regional associations should get a greater say in arts and music policies.

Its platform also includes giving emerging talent access to small business start-up grants and schemes, schools giving arts and music greater priority to nurture the creativity of young people, and more access and participation opportunities in arts and culture activities given to people with disabilities.