Budget 2024-25: gains for the screen industry

Australian children's content and NFSA archive preservation are among the wins for the screen industry in the 2024-2025 Federal Budget.
Two hands holding various Australian currency. Nitrate film in the background.

On 14 May the Albanese Labor Government presented the 2024-2025 Federal Budget. The Australian screen sector was one of the beneficiaries, with $14.5 million to support the production of Australian children’s screen content, and a further $9.3 million to expand and enhance the National Film and Sound Archive (NFSA) and assist in preservation and restoration of the collection.

Here’s a breakdown of the screen institutions benefitting from this year’s budget.

ABC / SBS

ABC and SBS will receive a combined $1.7 billion for the 2024/25 financial year, with $1.196 billion to the ABC – up from $1.137 billion last financial year – and $348 million going to SBS, up from $334 million. The remaining gap will be used on transmission and distribution technology.

The ABC’s staffing levels will stay at 4,313 staff – remaining steady. SBS staff numbers will lift slightly from 1,352 people to 1,369. The ABC is budgeting for an ‘operating deficit’ of $1.9 million in 2024/25. SBS’ operating result for the same period is projected to be a $1.1 million surplus.

Read: ABC announces new channels for kids and family

ACMA

The Australian Communications and Media Authority has been allotted $181 million, down from $194 million last financial year. Of that, $12.4 million over four years will be used to improve existing scam call and SMS codes for telcos, and boost enforcement action to detect and prevent scams.

$22.6 million over five years from 2024–25 has been allotted to support the modernisation of media regulation in Australia, including the implementation of a prominence framework for internet-connected television devices and an expanded anti-siphoning scheme.

ACTF

The budget allocated $14.5 million across four years for the Australian Children’s Television Foundation to support the production of Australian children’s screen content, which has been in a state of flux recently, especially since the previous government relaxed the fixed local content quotas on free-to-air commercial networks in 2021.

NFSA

The government has put aside $9.3 million to ‘expand and enhance’ the National Film and Sound Archive’s capacity to store highly flammable nitrate-based cultural heritage material belonging to national collecting institutions. These historically significant films and photographic negatives are currently at risk of being lost. The funding will allow the NFSA to double its nitrate storage capacity. The expanded facility in Canberra will meet international best practice for collection storage and will ensure the preservation of nitrate film and photographs for future generations of Australians to view and access.

The NFSA’s CEO Patrick McIntyre said, ‘Alongside ongoing advancements in digitisation, this funding means we can ensure the protection and accessibility of nitrate cinematic treasures for contemporary and future audiences… The expansion of our existing facility will enable us to build on our history and to continue our search for lost films.’

Read: Budget 2024-25: what’s in it for the arts?

AFTRS / NIDA

The Australian Film Television and Radio School will get $27.9 million, up from $24.2 million in the previous financial year, and will be expected to earn more than last year in course fees and other sales: $10.3 million, up from $9.4 million last year. The total government allocation plus revenue target is $38 million. Staffing will decrease by 5 people to a head count of 145. $51.9 million is going to the National Institute of Dramatic Art.

Community Broadcasting

The Community Broadcasting Foundation’s funding will increase over the financial years years: $22,981m in 2025/26, $23,535m in 2026/27 and $24,053m in 2027/28.

The Budget and the Producer Offset

The government will remove the minimum length requirements for content, and the cap on ‘above the line’ costs for the Producer Offset is being abolished from 1 July 2024. This change is estimated to increase payments by $0.4 million over three years from 20 25–26 (and $0.2m per year ongoing).

Screen Producers Australia (SPA) welcomed the budget, and said they were particularly delighted about the cap on above the line costs. ‘This is terrific news for Australia’s screen producers and puts Australian screen stories on a more even playing field with international projects that are not subject to this cap,’ said SPA CEO Matt Deaner. 

SPA also welcomed the new funding of $14.5m to support the Australian Children’s Television Foundation (ACTF), saying it was an important boost for Australia’s children’s screen producers.

‘We are pleased that the ACTF can continue its important work in supporting new screen projects for our much neglected but vital child audiences.’