On Tuesday night, the 2025-2026 Federal Budget was delivered by Treasurer Jim Chalmers, which includes targeted measures addressing cost-of-living challenges, health, education, and gender equality. Diversity Arts Australia (DARTS) welcomes these announcements along with some important investments in multicultural communities. However, we remain concerned about the limited budget allocations and commitments to the arts sector and anti-racism initiatives.
Investment into the Creative Sector
The Government has allocated an additional $8.6 million to continue implementing Revive, Australia’s National Cultural Policy, with a focus on increasing access and inclusion at live music performances, festivals and venues through the Revive Live program. This is the only new arts-focused investment announced, while Creative Australia’s core funding saw an increase of approximately $12 million.
While these budget announcements are welcome, they fall short of addressing the ongoing and deepening issues facing the sector. In particular, we are disappointed that no targeted allocation has been made to address the exclusion and under-representation of Culturally and Racially Marginalised (CaRM) creatives. Addressing the lack of access and inclusion in Australia’s creative workforce needs targeted federal investment to develop employment and career pathways, ensuring that CaRM artists and cultural workers can thrive and develop sustainable practices in a creative sector that should reflect us all.
Investment into Anti-Racism Initiatives and Multicultural Affairs
The Federal Budget 2025-2026 includes a $178.4 million package to support social cohesion, with funding directed toward existing and new multicultural programs nationwide. Key initiatives include the Critical Support for Multicultural Communities Grant Program, mental health support and services for Australians impacted by the conflict in the Middle East, capacity-building projects targeting the needs of African-Australian communities, and extending the Economic Pathways to Refugee Integration (EPRI) program to boost refugee employment, among others.
Diversity Arts Australia acknowledges and welcomes this new investment into multicultural communities, aligning with some of the recommendations included in the Multicultural Review Framework. However, we call for a stronger commitment with anti-racism initiatives, and in particular, a clear funding pathway for implementing the roadmap proposed by the National Anti-Racism Framework. The framework highlights the arts and media as key areas of action, which requires dedicated investment to address systemic racism effectively.