Federal Budget 2023-24: Overview

The 2023-24 Federal Budget has been announced- find key investments for your industries and links to budget analysis below:

Arts
The 2023-24 Budget "delivers immediate support to artists and arts organisations, our cultural institutions, training bodies and key areas of the new National Cultural Policy, Revive" including:

• $535.3 million over 4 years for Australia’s 9 National Collecting Institutions, like the National Archives of Australia and National Gallery of Australia
• $286 million to deliver on Revive including through; restoring core arts funding: establishing Creative Australia, Music Australia, Writers Australia and a Creative Workplaces centre to support arts workers; establishing a First Nations-led body; sharing the National Gallery of Australia’s collection with regional and suburban galleries; and improving incomes for authors
• $9 million to Australia’s 8 national arts training organisations to secure critical courses and skills development and maintain performers and production specialists for Australia's live performing arts and screen industry and the creative economy more broadly
• $112.3 million in additional funding to attract international investment in the Australian screen industry to provide domestic employment and training opportunities by increasing the Location Offset rebate to 30%
• $6.9 million over 4 years from 2023-24 for Ausfilm to continue to promote screen productions in Australia.
• Move to a five-year funding cycle for the ABC and SBS

Analysis:
​Budget 2023-24: What’s in it for the arts? (ArtsHub)
Chalmers offers little for business (Print21)
Australia raises location offset to 30% (AusFilm)
2023 budget delivers 5 year funding cycle for public broadcasters (Mumbrella)

Sport
From the Investment in Sport section of the Budget Measure paper No. 2 it indicates that the Government will provide $39.8 million over 7 years from 2023–24 to support major sporting events, sports diplomacy, and sport and physical activity in Australia.
Funding includes:
• $16.3 million over 6 years from 2024–25 to support the Confederation of Australian Sport to host the World Masters Games 2029 in Perth, Western Australia, with funding subject to confirmation of a successful bid for Australia to host this event
• $8.3 million in 2023–24 for the extension of the Local Sporting Champions program, which supports young Australians to participate in state, national and international sporting competitions
• $3.8 million in 2023–24 to the Australian Sports Foundation to enhance the organisation’s information technology network to address emerging cyber security risks
• $3.3 million in 2023–24 to continue Surf Life Saving Australia’s vocational education and training support for Australia’s surf lifesaving volunteers
• $3.3 million over two years from 2023–24 to continue and expand The Big Issue’s Community Street Soccer Program
• $2.1 million over two years from 2023–24 to the Department of Health and Aged Care and the Australian Sports Commission to support women and girls participation in talent and development programs to increase female representations in coaching, officiating and sports administration
• $1.6 million over 3 years from 2023–24 to Reclink Australia to expand sport and recreation programs for disadvantaged Australians in the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory
• $0.8 million in 2023–24 to develop a new National Sport Plan and undertake a review of the Australian Sports Commission Act 1989
​• $0.2 million in 2023–24 to support development of the Government’s Major Sporting Events Strategic Investment Model to better quantify the broader social and economic impacts of major sporting events. 

Tourism and Hospitality​

• Australians and visitors will pay a higher passenger movement charge. The charge will increase from $60 to $70 The increase will come into effect from July 1, 2024. It is expected to total $520 million between 2022-23 and 2026-27.
•  International student visa holders will be restricted to working 24 hours per week from 1 July 2023. 
• An extra 2 years of post-study work rights for Temporary Graduate visa holders with select degrees.
•  An investment of $75.8 million over two years from 2023–24 to assist with the processing turnaround times for visas 
• Temporary Skilled Migration Income Threshold will increase to $70,000 from 1 July 2023. This will increase the minimum salary for skilled migrants for certain visas.
•  The fees for visa subclasses including visitor, working holiday, work and holiday, training, temporary activity, and temporary work (short stay specialist) will all increase by 15 per cent. 
• There is funding for 300,000 TAFE and vocational education training places to become fee-free.

Budget Overview  
Budget Measures Paper
Skills & Training
Media Release: Australian Tourism Industry Council 
Media Release: Restaurant & Caterers
​

Technology
Industry analysts iTnews have itemised the list of funded digital projects contained in budget paper number two as follows:

• $429.5 million over four years for the National Disability Insurance Agency’s (NDIA’s) “capability and systems, to improve processes and planning decisions”.
• $429 million over two years to modernise My Health Record.
• $325.7 million over four years, and $79.9 million a year ongoing), for the Australian Digital Health Agency (ADHA).
• $254.1 million over four years, and $56.1 million per year ongoing from 2027–28, “to replace, enhance and sustain the Department of Veterans’ Affairs’ new and at-risk legacy ICT systems.”
• $214.5 million for a series of ICT infrastructure investments and changes for aged care, supporting a national worker screening and registration scheme, support at home, and general aged care sector reform.
• $197 million over seven years, and $9.4 million a year from 2030–31, “to continue the Australian Bureau of Statistics’ (ABS) implementation of its 10-year plan to modernise and replace legacy ICT systems.”
• $146.1 million over four years, and $31.2 million per year ongoing, “for the National Library of Australia, including for the continuation of the Trove digital database … and IT infrastructure”, among other things.
• $145.2 million for Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry for “modern digital systems in cargo pathways that are integrated with business systems, cut red tape and streamline regulation and service delivery for importers”.
• $134.5 million for a single year to sustain the myGov platform.
• $134.1 million over four years, and then $33.7 million a year after, for the Office of the eSafety Commissioner.
• $111.8 million over four years, and then $24.2 million thereafter, “to provide electronic-prescription delivery infrastructure and services, including mandating the use of e-prescribing for high risk and high cost medicines subsidised under the pharmaceutical benefits scheme”.
• $101.6 million over five years from 2022–23, and $11.8 million per year ongoing, “to support and uplift cyber security in Australia.”
• $101.2 million over five years “to support businesses to integrate quantum and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies into their operations”.
• $91.7 million over four years for the Department of Education “to transform program administration for schools and higher education providers by developing a stable, secure, and streamlined information and communications technology platform”.
• $90.2 million over three years “to assure the reliability of DFAT’s international communications network at overseas posts”.
• $88.8 million over two years for Treasury for “the continued operation of the Consumer Data Right in the banking, energy and non-bank lending sectors, progress the design of action initiation and [to] uplift cyber security.”
• $87.8 million over five years, plus $2 million a year after, “to improve the administration of student loans and enhance the security and privacy of data holdings.” This includes $42.2 million for the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations “to implement a new digital solution to support the efficient and effective administration of the VET student loans program”.
• $86.5 million over four years “to combat scams and online fraud”.
• $59.7 million over four years, and $15.2 million per year after, “for infrastructure and ICT upgrades at Questacon, and to continue its STEM education and engagement programs”.
• $51.2 million over two years “for critical ICT and equipment upgrades at the National Measurement Institute”.
• $48.3 million over two years “to invest in the NDIA’s ability to detect, respond to, and reduce fraud and non-compliant payments, and to develop a business case for new IT platforms and systems to detect and prevent fraud and non-compliant payments.”
• $44.3 million over four years, and $8.4 million a year after, for the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner “to have a standalone privacy commissioner, progress investigations and enforcement action in response to privacy and data breaches, and enhance its data and analytics capability”.
• $43 million over two years “to invest in ICT infrastructure to prepare for future pandemic events and extend existing Covid-19 programs”.
• $40.4 million over four years, and $11.2 million a year after, for the Australian Institute of Marine Science to “improve the scale, scope and speed of marine monitoring and data analysis”.
• $38.3 million over four years - $7.6 million a year after “to support agricultural statistics, climate analysis and upgrades to data and information systems for the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences.
• $35.6 million to the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts for “IT systems to support infrastructure investment and road vehicle safety regulation”.
• $32.7 million over four years, and $3.4 million a year after, for the Bureau of Meteorology to set up a single digital platform for national water data management, a new website, and create water market data standards. “ICT investment approval” for the project is still pending.
• $32.7 million over four years for Treasury “to support the continued delivery of key programs and statutory reviews and to upgrade ICT systems”.
• $24.7 million for the Department of Finance and the Digital Transformation Agency (DTA) “to maintain the current Digital ID system and design the policy and legislative foundations to transition to an economy-wide Digital ID ecosystem with an independent regulator”.
• $23.8 million for Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) to continue modernising the simplified trade system and operating the trade information service. 
• $16.4 million over four years to the Australian Bureau of Statistics “to capture data insights to inform long term policy responses aimed at interrupting cycles of intergenerational disadvantage”.
• $14.4 million over four years, and $3.9 million per year ongoing, for the Australian National Audit Office (ANAO) to deliver its audit program “and upgrade systems to ensure it can safeguard data”, a likely reference to a B2B portal it wants.
• $14.2 million “for general practitioners (GPs) to undertake telehealth consultations to evaluate eligible Covid-positive patients’ suitability for oral antivirals.”
• $10.6 million over four years, and $1.5 million a year after, for “essential technology and communication upgrades” at the Director of National Parks.
• $10 million over three years for broadband and mobile services upgrades for First Nations people in Central Australia through the regional connectivity program.
• $7.9 million over four years for the Australian Communications and Media Authority to combat online misinformation and disinformation on global digital platforms.
• $3.8 million to the Australian Sports Foundation to enhance its IT network “to address emerging cyber security risks”.
• $3.8 million over two years for the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies “to digitise and store at-risk audio-visual material”.
• $1.6 million for the Department of Parliamentary Services “to support the delivery of ICT services to other parliamentary departments”.
• $1.1 million for the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner “to provide ongoing privacy assurance for the Digital ID program”.
• $1.1 million for the Australian Taxation Office “for communications research associated with the myGovID brand.”
• $900,000 over two years for the Attorney-General’s Department to progress the government’s response to the recent review of the Privacy Act.
• $300,000 for mobile and internet for wi-fi connectivity in Alice Springs Town Camps through the digital connectivity project.
• Unknown amount “to build and sustain the second tranche of the Australian Electoral Commission’s (AEC) ICT modernisation project.” The amount was withheld due to “ongoing commercial negotiations”.

Analysis:
Gov allocates "more than $2 billion" to digital and ICT (iTNews)