Make It Australian submission on the 5 pillars of the National Cultural Policy
What challenges and opportunities do you see in the pillar or pillars most relevant to you? Feel free to respond to any or all pillars:
1) First Nations:
The stories of Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait islanders are central part of our unique culture.
In supporting the Uluru Statement of the Heart we will endeavour to give First Nations people truth and self-determination in their story telling by creating stories giving voice; to empower our first sovereign Nations to take their rightful place in their own country and so they can shine through as a fuller expression of Australia’s nationhood. Stories of their culture is a gift to their country and should not be owned by off-shore interests.
It is also important for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island children to see their stories on our screens. Without specific regulation for this, child audiences are being neglected.
To help us see more of their stories on our screens, we ask for specific investment in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island stories to support their development, production and distribution.
We also need to ensure that the expression of our First Nations stories are able to be owned and retained by our people and not taken offshore by global businesses. Stories of their culture is a gift to their country and should be retained here in Australia. This requires a careful balance of cultural and business interests.
2) A place for Every Story:
It is important to me to see Australian stories in every place, including our screens. We deserve and expect access to a diversity of quality stories on all platforms including drama, documentary and children’s programs.
It is a concern that we are seeing less and less Australian stories on our screens and it is important for a National Cultural Policy to address this. Our screen stories are an important part of our national cultural heritage.
Governments provide valuable financial support to the screen sector through important incentives and tax offsets and this should largely benefit the production of more Australian stories.
I believe we should require all screen platforms: our free-to-air broadcasters and our streaming platforms to ensure they are reflecting our own culture by investing in new Australian stories for us all to see.
In particular, regulation to require major streaming platforms like Netflix and Disney+ to make a reasonable and fair contribution to telling Australian stories is long overdue and requires urgent action to address.
That’s why I want to see a requirement for an investment of 20% of major streamers Australian revenue, earned from Australian subscriptions, be spent on newly commissioned Australian stories in our National Cultural Policy.
In addition, the deregulation of Australian free-to-air requirements for special genres of children and adult drama has led to a sharp drop in these stories and this should be addressed.
It is important that all Australians can see their own stories both in front of paywalls on free-to-air or on their free online channels, as well as behind them on streaming platforms.
Through Australian screen stories, it is important that we reflect the diversity of our community and ensure that we encourage inclusion and a sense of identify for everyone.
3) The Centrality of the Artist:
Screen stories are the expression of Australian culture and stories that has the broadest reach both across the nation and internationally.
The screen industry supports a diverse range of occupations, creative and technical – all equally important as part of a creative team that bring Australian stories to our screens.
It is important to ensure that our screen industry practitioners operate within an economic framework that enables them to create, participate and prosper within the sector.
Screen production deals done with all platforms should be based on a fair negotiation of contracts to ensure our screen businesses and that those they employ are all able to operate sustainably and are not disadvantaged by cost pressures from global corporate interests.
Screen practitioners – from new entrants to those at all stages of their careers - rely on strong public institutions and a pipeline of private investment to support their careers. This investment and government funding should also include a commitment from government that the programs it funds deliver fair wages and conditions for all creatives as a condition of funding.
4) Strong Institutions:
The Australian screen industry needs strong, stable and well-funded institutions to enable the sector to support the creation of Australian stories and support a diversity of stories and creators.
It is important to ensure that our screen agencies and institutions are fit for purpose to enable them to achieve the best outcomes for the sector.
Funding cuts to the ABC and SBS have had a detrimental effect on screen stories and the training of new entrants to the industry and more secure funding for them to deliver Australian stories for all audiences is a high priority.
Our institutions must be led by diverse and robust boards drawn from industry. Our boards should represent creative practitioners from across their respective areas of practice, and a balance must be struck to ensure these boards are representative of the creative industries they are part of.
Our specialist tertiary training institutions and programs should be funded and nurtured to ensure a skills pipeline towards sustainable jobs with fair wages.
5) Reaching the Audience:
Australian audiences must be able to discover and locate Australian stories on all platforms, including streaming.
Child audiences are being overlooked with no current requirement specific requirement for children’s programs on free-to-air or streaming platforms. They are missing out on Australian history and culture as a result.
As with European regulation, we should ensure algorithmic prominence on streaming platforms to ensure Australian audiences see Australian content.
How you can voice your opinion
Use our Grassroots Activation Kit to secure a meeting with your local MP and voice your opinion The kit is an asset to help Australia's screen industry professionals,
Identify their local MP.
Request a meeting to discuss their concerns surrounding the regulation and sustainability of Australia's screen industry.
Follow up on their meeting request.
Be well-informed with detailed talking points for their meeting.
Link to Grassroots Activation Kit.