BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER
BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER
OUR COMMITMENTS Working with the private sector to deliver a Canberra Festival that creates new opportunities for local artists, and in ecotourism and adventure tourism. Following through on constructing a new multicultural centre that’s fit for purpose for large events and meets our multicultural community’s expectations. Following the lead of NSW and QLD in establishing a Night-Time Economy Commissioner tasked with reinvigorating Canberra’s nightlife, including by building ongoing collaborative relationships with local artists, night-time businesses and creative communities. WHAT WE STAND FOR Creating affordable activities and shared spaces to strengthen community bonds while elevating and celebrating our diversity. Drawing on lessons from other jurisdictions to ensure new developments are supported by community infrastructure that provides tangible benefits for the local neighbourhood. Ensuring the ACT offers an environment that supports migrants and refugees to thrive and build a life here. Engaging with diverse communities in their own spaces and on their own terms. Increasing the long-term economic viability of our arts and cultural sector by integrating arts and culture into broader social and economic development strategies.
WHY WE NEED CHANGE
Social cohesion in Australia is declining. Nationally, our sense of social inclusion and justice has dropped substantially and is the most significant factor dragging down our overall social cohesion. 40 percent of adults in the ACT say they are lonely – the highest rate of any jurisdiction in the country – compared to a national average of 32 per cent. Young adults are the loneliest.
Australia lags behind other OECD countries when it comes to public investment in arts and culture (ranked 26th out of 33 countries). In the ACT, our per-capita capital expenditure on arts and culture has declined from a high of above $60 in 2010-11 to less than $20 in 2021-22.
The Council of Capital City Lord Mayors’ latest report on night-time economy indicators show that Canberra is the worst performing capital city in the country with just 47 night-time businesses per 10,000 people.
We’re hearing not enough is being done to strengthen Canberra’s community connections. Part of the solution can be increasing the ACT Government’s level of collaboration with artists, creative communities and venue managers in order to activate our cultural and arts precincts and reinvigorate our local live music scene.
Canberra is proud of its multiculturalism but, despite past promises, our city lacks a purpose-built facility where multicultural communities can host major events of cultural significance.