Research Background
The report responds to the 2022 Australian Government’s Creative Australia plan, the second national cultural policy framework of its kind in Federal History. This report was developed speaking to the federal position providing insight to all tiers of government and asks the question: how can industry inform government co-investment in the Australian music economy to build sustainable regional economy? The AusMusic sector saw a more than 90% reduction in its value during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the years 2020-2021 the music infrastructure of the Sunshine Coast grew by more than $20 million, including a new $6.5 million University-based complex bucking national trends. This report explores why and what is the potential of the region to inform national policy.
Research Contribution
This 31-page report is the first and only comprehensive industry mapping of the music sector of the Sunshine Coast to date. It compiles 1000 hours of research into an economic report and industry map which culminates in a new sectoral-based pillar framework drawn from a review of the 12 most successful and influential music reports from around the world. The report outlines 3 sets of recommendations for all stakeholders at a national level including the governance of industry bodies and future co-investment strategies between public and private sectors.
Research Significance
This funded report was commissioned by regional music industry body and has been adopted as the founding constitutional document for the Sunshine Coast Music Industry Collective with the endorsement of QMusic (State peak body), Major Events and Tourism Taskforce, and the world’s largest music promotion company, Live Nation. It is used to inform local government music planning and is currently under review by chief bureaucrats at state and federal levels. The document was presented to industry at a major launch event for the sector attended by national delegates and an audience of 500.