WHAT price do you put on culture? A report released yesterday did a fair job of answering this slippery question, spelling out the economic value of Bathurst’s cultural facilities.
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And the conclusion? For every one dollar invested in facilities such as the Australian Fossil and Mineral Museum, $1.69 is returned to the economy.
Local Government Minister Paul Toole launched the official report on the economic impact of the cultural facilities of the Evocities of NSW.
Evocities is a NSW and federal government program that aims to encourage Sydneysiders to move to regional NSW cities.
The report – released at the Australian Fossil and Mineral Museum – found that across the seven Evocities of Bathurst, Orange, Dubbo, Armidale, Tamworth, Albury and Wagga Wagga, there are 26 cultural facilities funded by local government, including museums, galleries and performing arts centres.
The operations of the 26 facilities generate $61.8 million in goods and services, contribute $32.35m to the gross regional product and $15.4m to household incomes.
Better still, on average 8.5 full-time jobs are created in the local economies for every 10 full-time positions within the cultural facilities.
Volunteers also play a crucial role, providing almost 25,000 working hours valued at more than $500,000 in the 2012-13 financial year.
Museums and Galleries NSW general manager of finance and administration Michael Huxley made the trip to Bathurst yesterday to comment on the report, much to the delight of guests including mayor Gary Rush, Mr Toole, Western Research Institute CEO Danielle Ranshaw and Wagga Wagga mayor Rod Kendall.
Mr Huxley said the study was a valuable benchmark, building on the findings of a similar 2009 study for Bathurst, Dubbo and Orange.
“In 2012-13, local, state and federal governments invested just over $19 mill-ion into the operations of the 26 facilities – with local government carrying the lion’s share at $16.5 million,” Mr Huxley said.
“Using their contribution to gross regional product, as a proxy for their economic impact and using the flow-on effects through the economies, there is a return of 69 per cent – or, for every one dollar invested, $1.69 is returned to the economies.”
Mr Toole said the 26 cultural facilities examined employed 158 full-time staff.
“This research confirms the great value provided by local government through the provision of museums, galleries and performing arts centres,” he said.
“Not only do they help mould and shape community identity by supporting local arts workers and providing access for regional audiences, they also contribute positively to the local and regional economies.”
Cr Rush said Bathurst cultural facilities included the Bathurst Memorial Enter-tainment Centre, Bathurst Regional Art Gallery, Australian Fossil and Mineral Museum, the National Motor Racing Museum and the Chifley Home.
He said the fossil and mineral museum had about 23,000 visitors in the 2013-14 financial year and that by year’s end would have had 250,000 visitors in the past decade.