Industry media react to the federal budget

Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg handed down the 2021 Budget on Tuesday, 11th May, which expands spending in areas including childcare, aged care, mental health, and infrastructure. Below are links to a collection of articles from creative and leisure industries' media outlets, summarising and analysing the budget.

​ArtsHub veteran Gina Fairley answered the question of 'What's in it for the Arts' succinctly: 'Sweet little'. However, the already announced Digital Games Tax Offset is being embraced by industry. The screen sector, regional galleries and museums, Aboriginal visual arts, and media are all represented in the budget, though primarily through already-announced initiatives.

ITNews captured 'All the Tech in the 2021 Federal Budget' and similarly noted that "With most IT-related funding contained within the digital economy strategy announced ahead of time, distinctly fewer centrepiece initiatives were to be found on budget night than in previous years".

Tourism and travel industry news site Australasian Leisure Management, notes that "Despite ongoing COVID outbreaks and delays to its vaccine strategy, the budget banks on Australia’s internal borders remaining open, domestic activity restrictions being lifted, and migration gradually resuming from mid-2022". 

Sport Australia and the Australian Sporting Commission welcomed the announcement of funding to extend the Sporting Schools program, while The Hotel Conversation notes that measures aimed at easing the chronic worker shortage in the hospitality industry are being welcomed by the Australian Hotels Association, and Tourism Accommodation Australia.

Read a brief overview and analysis of the whole budget at The Conversation, which highlights that while Australia's universities have suffered a $400 million reduction in funding over the last year, $506 million is due to be invested in the coming two years to extend the JobTrainer program, to 'deliver 163,000 additional free and low fee skills training places.'