Thursday, 1 August 2024

Ministers statements: creative industries

Colin BROOKS (Bundoora – Minister for Development Victoria, Minister for Precincts, Minister for Creative Industries) (14:14): Our creative agencies are going for gold as part of our $40 billion creative state economy. Both the National Gallery of Victoria and the Melbourne Museum have lit up in green and gold to help cheer on our Olympians, our Paralympians and our past Olympians, like the member for Nepean. If only ambition was an Olympic sport.

Work is underway to transform our arts precinct, and we cannot wait to unveil our much-loved refurbished state theatre when it reopens. The National Gallery of Victoria continues to kick goals with exhibitions like Pharoah and this summer’s Yayoi Kusama blockbuster. Melbourne Museum has the incredible Victoria the T. Rex, bringing Victorians fact to face with the cretaceous period, which is about the same time I think that the Leader of the Nationals came into this place.

ACMI is putting in medal-winning performances, with over a million visitors last year and its current incredible Beings exhibition. The State Library Victoria is smashing visitation records: 2.4 million visitors in the last year off the back of its $88 million upgrade. The Wheeler Centre hosted an event with Olympic champions Patrick Johnson and Kieren Perkins, and 150,000 people have enjoyed concerts at the incredible Melbourne Recital Centre.

Our screen agency VicScreen is driving significant film production right here in Victoria, from big productions with US investors to homegrown cult classics like Late Night with the Devil. And, no, that is not Peter Dutton on Sky after dark; it is a different sort of horror show.

Members interjecting.

Colin BROOKS: I thought you would like that one. The list goes on. Victoria is clearly the cultural and sporting capital of the country, and the Allan Labor government is backing those key strengths.