Coronavirus: Andrews to give $150m to sports, culture and tourism bodies
Economic survival package designed to help sporting, cultural and tourism rebound quickly when restrictions are lifted.
The Andrews government is set to announce a $150m economic survival package for Victoria’s sporting, cultural and tourism organisations on Wednesday to help them recover after being shut down during the coronavirus pandemic.
The package includes $40m for community sport and recreation bodies including state sporting associations, leagues and clubs, $16m for national sporting organisations that support amateur and professional teams, $44m for Victoria’s racing industry and $32.3m for creative agencies and initiatives including funding for Museums Victoria, National Gallery of Victoria, Arts Centre Melbourne, Melbourne Recital Centre and the Geelong Arts Centre.
Another $6m will go to live-music industry workers, in addition to a $16.8m support package recently announced for creative industries.
The tourism industry will receive $11m for attractions such as Puffing Billy, regional tourism boards and the Victorian Tourism Industry Council, while the State Sport Centres Trust and Kardinia Park Stadium Trust will share in $5.3m.
Tourism, Sport and Major Events Minister Martin Pakula said that while Victorians couldn’t attend the events they love, “this support will go a long way to making sure our tourism, sport and racing bodies are well placed to rebound quickly as restrictions are lifted”.
Minister for Creative Industries Martin Foley said Victoria had the “best galleries, museums and performance venues in the country — and one of the best live music scenes anywhere in the world”.
“They are central to life in this state and this funding is vital to safeguarding jobs in the $31bn creative industries economy,” he said.
The sport, racing, cultural and tourism sectors are collectively worth tens of billions of dollars to Victoria’s economy annually, and support hundreds of thousands of jobs.
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