Western Australian budget boost for arts, events and sport

The Western Australian 2024/25 budget has announced significant funding for the arts, events, sport and tourism with a series of important programs.

The first budget handed down by Treasurer Rita Saffioti includes a $36.6 million boost for Western Australian tourism with an additional $25 million allocated over the next four years to the Major Events Fund and $3.6 million dedicated to a brand new Metro Events program, which will focus on creating homegrown events in and around the Perth.

The 2024/25 state budget will also provide more than $237 million in new funding for sport and recreation and the arts, including boosts for Western Australia's job-creating screen industry, and community sport and recreation facilities.

Arts and creative industries
The commitment to build a screen industry in Western Australia - as part of its economic diversification plans - will be bolstered by a $13.2 million investment in a Screen Industry Workforce Development Plan and extension of the Digital Games and Interactive Fund run by Screenwest. This brings the Government's total investment under the WA Screen Strategy to $31.9 million to date.

Western Australia 's biggest creative sector employers, such as Black Swan State Theatre Company, West Australian Ballet, WA Opera and West Australian Symphony Orchestra, will share in a $5.9 million funding uplift for arts organisations over 2024/25 and 2025/26.

Sport and recreation
Community sport and recreation facilities throughout the state will benefit from a $6.7 million expansion of the successful Community Sporting and Recreation Facilities Fund and Club Night Lights Program. This lifts the total amount allocated to these programs from $18.8 million to $25.5 million in 2024-25.

A further $10.9 million will be provided to deliver key maintenance at a range of Western Australian sporting venues, while $5.1 million in funding will go towards refurbishments, upgrades and improved access arrangements at HBF Arena and HBF Stadium.

The WA Rugby Centre will benefit from almost $1 million in facility upgrades, including modifications to changerooms to ensure gender equal access.

In total, more than $53 million will go towards improvements, maintenance and planning at WA sport and recreation facilities.

As the world counts down to the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games, Western Australian athletes headed to France as part of Team Australia will benefit from $1.35 million in funding.

This funding for elite sport in the 2024/25 budget includes:

• $333,250 via the Western Australian Institute of Sport (WAIS) for athlete qualification and performance optimisation initiatives involving athletes, coaches and support staff;

• $270,000 for direct payments to Western Australian athletes selected to the Australia team for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games to assist with costs; and

• $750,000 to be distributed to the Australian Olympic and Paralympic Team Appeal, with $375,000 to go to the Australian Olympic Committee, and $375,000 to Paralympics Australia.

The Western Australian 2024/25 budget contrast with that of Victoria which cut $285 million in funding for major events and tourism promotion.

Tourism and events
The budget includes $36.6 million for the state's tourism sector which includes an additional $25 million allocated over the next four years to the Major Events Fund and $3.6 million dedicated to a brand new Metro Events program, which will focus on creating iconic homegrown events in and around the Perth region.

It also includes a $4.9 million commitment to continue our agency’s Tourism Workforce Development Program, which aims to attract workers to the tourism industry through long-and-short-term programs.

Other initiatives announced as part of the Western Australian 2024/25 budget include:

• $1.6 million to continue biannual stakeholder regional roadshows, extend our existing partnership with Tourism Council WA and continue receiving key tourism data from the Commonwealth; and

• $500,000 for feasibility studies for new tourism attractions.

Image credit: Perth's Fringe World festival.