The live sector was bitterly disappointed with the Federal Budget handed down in March.
Obviously the government thought that shoving $200 million of Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand (RISE) funding was enough for the sector to stand on its own feet.
Wrong! said the Live Performance Australia’s chief executive Evelyn Richardson. “We now face a new set of challenges as we rebuild.”
She told the Government there were three things that the Budget could have provided for the live sector “which lost $1.4 billion in revenue in 2020, with significant losses in 2021 when our two major markets were locked down.”
(1) A skills and training package that enables industry to provide both traineeships to address critical skills shortages, and short courses for retraining established technicians.
(2) Extended tax incentives for those who invest in the live and entertainment industry, similar to those in the United States and Britain.
(3) A temporary Live Entertainment Events Insurance Scheme, similar to the one for the screen industry, to provide compensation for festivals and events promoters who had to cancel or postpone because of COVID.
“Ongoing disruption due to infection and isolation of personnel remains a very real challenge,” Richardson stressed.
She added: “Our industry contributed $36.5 billion to Australia’s economy in 2019 and is a key driver of many other sectors, notably hospitality, travel and cultural tourism.”
