Parliamentary Speeches
Byron Bay Writers Festival ( 08/05/2008)
Mr DONALD PAGE (Ballina) [6.09 p.m.]: I raise an issue in the House tonight of deep concern to the people of the Ballina electorate and beyond. I refer to the review of Arts NSW Cultural Grants Program funding that could see future funding cease for the Northern Rivers Writers' Centre, which hosts the annual Byron Bay Writers Festival. The festival is one of the most significant events on Byron Bay's calendar, attracting more visitors than either the Brisbane or Melbourne writers' festivals. It is the only significant literary festival that celebrates Australian writing and writers, and does not predominantly feature international writers. The Byron Bay Writers' Festival is the event writers love to attend; it provides regional audiences with a world-class forum for discussion and ideas. The festival has a reputation for excellence internationally with a passionate volunteer army of 130 people and a waiting list of people clamouring to be involved.
It is hard to believe that such a festival, which costs around $490,000 to put on, receives only $17,500 from the Australia Council and $5,000 from the Film and Television Office. Now the only other Government support it receives—$55,000 from the State Government—is in danger of being axed. The festival scheduled for this coming July will have 45,000 attendees. The Northern Rivers Writers' Centre was established in 1994 as a centre to foster excellence in Australian writing and reading. The centre is a non-profit organisation with a membership of approximately 800 individuals and organisations. The NRWC plays a vital role in providing support and mentoring for emerging writers. The centre does this through the provision of face-to-face consultations, facilitating contact between developing writers and local industry professionals, staff training to provide expert and current industry knowledge in all areas of publishing, writing and reading, and greatly enhances the cultural life of the local community.
To add salt to the wound, the NRWC advised me that it received no notification of the review. The report from the review was discovered on the Arts NSW website by pure chance. Imagine the Centre's shock on reading the recommendation, which states that ``funding for regional writers centres be reviewed and that better outcomes may be achieved by addressing the needs of regional writers online``. Neither the NRWC nor even Arts NSW's own regional body, Arts Northern Rivers, was consulted regarding this review, despite the review stating that all major arts stakeholders involved in the cultural grants funding program were consulted.
Further, one of the people commissioned to perform the review is also on the Board of Varuna, the Blue Mountains Writers' Centre, which is the only centre exempted from the review. However, it should be noted that the NRWC agrees that Varuna should be maintained. It runs the highly sought after Litlink and Longlines programs. In 2007 of the 37 places offered in these programs 9 were awarded to NRWC members. With such obvious talent, why would this State Government be looking to cease funding to an organisation that provides opportunities for regional residents—opportunities that are few and far between? The suggestion by the review that the services currently provided by the NRWC could be better provided by an online service is ludicrous and insulting to everyone involved in the NRWC.
Only recently the NRWC hosted a senior publisher from one of the largest publishing houses in Australia for one-on-one consultations with members. This resulted in that publishing house taking four manuscripts, with several more to be submitted after further work. How could this golden opportunity for local writers possibly be created online? Jenni Caffin, Director of NRWC, makes a good point when she asks: Why should rural writers and audiences be denied services and professional support when their impact on the national cultural life of this country is strong and when, in fact, many practitioners are choosing to abandon city life for the tree change or sea change experience?
The Northern Rivers region has a wealth of talent and creativity, which must be nurtured and developed. This area has such a wonderful nursery to do just that, but it requires some Government support. Indeed, it is the responsibility of government to support cultural development. Just prior to coming into the Chamber tonight to raise this issue I was able to express my concerns in a brief conversation with the Minister for Planning's arts advisor. I was assured by this advisor that the $55,000 for the Northern Rivers Writers Centre for this calendar year is secure, but that these grants are being further reviewed for future years. I was assured also that the Northern Rivers Writers Centre would be consulted in future regarding any changes. I thank the Minister's office for this assurance on this year's Byron Bay Writers Festival due in July. However, I remain concerned that the funding to the centre could be axed in future years. This would be an extremely short-sighted decision for the reasons I have mentioned.
