New Queensland Premier and Arts Minister Annastacia Palaszczck promises to “return arts back to its rightful place.”

The Queensland Government, under new Premier and Arts Minister Annastacia Palaszczck has committed over $172 million to the arts in its 2015-16 budget. In a statement issued yesterday after the Budget announcement, Palaszczck said, “My government has vowed to return arts back to its rightful place and the future of arts in Queensland is now looking very positive.”

The investment restores reductions to arts subsidy in Queensland introduced by the previous Liberal Government led by former Premier Campbell Newman, which significantly impacted the state’s small to medium scaled organisations. In addition to restoring previously axed programmes, including the Queensland Premier’s Literary Awards, Palaszczck also pledged funding to set up additional arts initiatives over the next four years, and increased funding to existing programmes. Of the renewed committment to arts and culture, Palaszczck said, “Today’s Budget reflects our commitment to ensure Queensland is best placed to be a leader in the arts on a local, national and international level.”

$5 million a year will be added to the Queensland arts grant fund, which will continue to support the Visual Arts and Crafts Strategy and Indigenous Arts Programme,...