In a budget driven by pre-election positioning and cost-of-living relief, arts funding was never going to receive much attention when the 2025–26 Federal Budget was delivered by Treasurer Jim Chalmers on Tuesday night.

Only one new arts funding announcement was made: $8.6 million in new funding for 2025–26 to continue the implementation of the National Cultural Policy.

Creative Australia’s core funding has seen a modest increase of around $12 million (bringing it to $318 million), earmarked for pre-existing Revive initiatives. The budget does not include any new investments for Creative Australia.

Arts workers will benefit from several announcements in the budget targeted at low- and middle-income earners. According to a Media, Art, and Entertainment Alliance (MEAA) survey conducted in 2024, the average practising professional artist across all disciplines earns a gross annual income of just $23,200 – half the minimum wage – from their creative work. Other income helps to push their average overall income to $54,000 – still $20,000 below annualised average weekly earnings.