Museums Australia

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Museums Australia works in a broad policy environment across the sectors of Arts and culture, Heritage and Innovation.

Cultural affairs, including movable cultural heritage and support for the arts are administered by the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet as part of the Administrative Arrangements Order announced on 14 September 2010. This legislation includes those Acts relating to the National Collecting Institutions.

Australian Heritage Places, which include many state, regional and community based museums are assessed, nominated and promoted by the Australian Heritage Council.

Science Policy is administered by the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research along with Innovation Policy which has references to the humanities, sciences and collection organisations as well as research institutes.

Museums Australia has a policy research and advocacy role in presenting submissions to government about policy affecting museums. See Museums Australia Policy Submissions.

Overview

Parliamentary Library, Commonwealth arts policy and administration, 2009, Commonwealth arts policy and administration from Federation to the present day (excluding film policy)
Des Griffin, Museums in Australia from Pigott to Carroll, 2004

Australia 2020 Summit

The then Prime Minister of Australia, Kevin Rudd, convened an Australia 2020 Summit at Parliament House on 19 and 20 April 2008 to help shape a long term strategy for the nation's future. A Final Report was announced for public release of the of the Australia 2020 Summit on 31 May 2008.

Debate

Marcus Westbury, Evolution and Creation: Australia's Funding Bodies, Meanjin Volume 68 Number 2, 2009
P. Garrett (Minister for the Environment, Heritage and the Arts), New initiatives for a creative Australia, media release, Parliament House, Canberra, 13 May 2008
Australian Labor Party, New Directions for the Arts, 14 September 2007 (17p 150kb PDF)
J Craik, Re-Visioning Arts and Cultural Policy, ANU E Press, Canberra, 2007
An Australian Society of Authors (ASA) Research Project: Cultural Funding in Australia, Cultural Funding in Australia, with an emphasis on Literature and Print Media, 2008
Jillian Walliss, Garden without a Destiny: Untangling Landscape Narratives at the National Museum of Australia, Construction Works:Journal of Australian Studies, 2004

Australian Government Public consultations

Australian Government arts sector current list of public consultations including the Review of Exhibitions and Public Programs of the National Museum of Australia (NMA).

National Cultural Policy web forum

Minister Garrett launched a National Cultural Policy web forum on 28 October 2009 to encourage Australians to contribute to the development of a national cultural policy. This forum is an opportunity to contribute views about Australia's cultural future.

This web forum coincides with the Minister's speech to the National Press Club (PDF 120 KB) about the government view on the process for implementing a national cultural policy for 2020.

This public consultation process complements a formal 'Creative Australia Advisory Group', 12 people nominated by the Minister in December 2008 to encourage dialogue between the government and the Australian arts and culture community.

Previous significant reports

Inspiring Australia: A national strategy for engaging with the sciences The Inspiring Australia report proposes a national strategy for public engagement that will help realise the goals articulated in Powering Ideas: An Innovation Agenda for the 21st Century. February, 2010.
Venturous Australia - building strength in innovation, May 2009
Review of the Cooperative Research Centres Program, Collaborating to a purpose
Productivity Commission, Conservation of Historic Heritage Places, 2006, Public inquiry, Submissions, Australian Government resopnse
Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Panel, Review of the National Museum of Australia, A report, 2003
Report of the Contemporary Visual Arts and Craft Inquiry, Canberra, 2002
Creative Nation: Commonwealth Cultural Policy, October 1994

Cultural Ministers Council

The Cultural Ministers Council (CMC) was established in the mid-1980s and brings together government ministers from Australia and New Zealand to collaborate on developing Australia's arts and cultural sector.

Some relevant policy papers are: