Sydney is losing creative workers at four times the national rate

Today in Parliament, Abigail passed a motion calling on the NSW Government to protect creative spaces, address the cost of living crisis and unaffordable housing, and support the growth of the cultural sector.

Abigail said:

I move:

(1) That this House notes that according to new research in the report “Making it in Sydney: Actions to provide more creative production space”, published by urban policy think tank Committee for Sydney in November 2024:

Sydney is home to Australia’s highest concentration of cultural production workers at 37%, however it is losing its creative workers at four times the national rate,
the City of Sydney LGA has lost nearly 30 percent of its creative workspace in the last decade, despite overall floorspace surging by 15 per cent,
the declining loss of creative workspace is a driving factor in the declining workforce, as the two issues are interconnected,
creatives are struggling under the housing unaffordability and cost-of-living crises, spending over 60 percent of their income on rent. This figure has nearly doubled since 2008,
the cultural and creative industries are in a time of great policy reform and action, with federal, state and local governments resetting their approaches to culture and creativity, and continued reform and action that addresses the diverse challenges faced by these workforces is critical,
as Sydney grows, with historic investment in urban renewal, it is vital we ensure its neighbourhoods, both new and old, maintain their creative energy, and
these concerning implications extend beyond creative expression, impacting local communities, jobs, and tourism and investment.

(2) That this House notes the following recommendations from the Committee for Sydney’s report which are directed toward the NSW Government as the proposed lead:

assess and document the economic and social value benefit of creative workspace, so proponents and government can make informed decisions about provision or retention of creative workspace,
develop a design guide for creative spaces in Sydney to enable local governments, educational institutions, property owners and development teams to understand how to design and/or manage these spaces,
conduct a creative workspace census of Greater Sydney,
develop a clear needs assessment for creative workspaces,
apply ‘no net loss’ planning directions to creative floorspace,
relax planning limitations on creative industries,
review whether contribution mechanisms are fit-for-purpose for creative workspace provision,
make it easy for councils to insert clauses in LEPs to allow planning bonuses where developers provide creative workspaces,
require creative workspace to be provided within strategic precincts,
review cultural grants and other support available to creative workspace operators to ensure they are fit for purpose, and
establish a program to support existing and potential operators.

(3) That this House calls on the NSW Government to commit to supporting Sydney’s cultural and creative industries workforce by protecting existing workspaces and making more space for creative work, as well as addressing the diverse challenges faced by those in the sector including cost-of-living pressures and chronically unaffordable housing.

Read the transcript in Hansard here.

20 November 2024

A UNIVERSAL WELLBEING PAYMENT FOR NSW

No matter who you are or what you do, everyone has the right to share in the wellbeing of our country.

But at the moment the essentials so many of us need – a place to call home, food on the table, and everyday essentials like electricity, internet, medicine and water – are simply out of reach.

Instead of supporting us, our government is choosing to prop up huge corporations with massive subsidies, and to give away our collective wealth through record tax cuts for the wealthy. Meanwhile, the rest of us are left to live paycheck to paycheck or trapped in the dehumanising bureaucracy of our existing welfare system.

Now, in the midst of a pandemic, and following quickly on the heels of the bushfire crisis, more of us than ever before are experiencing what it’s like to lose our jobs, be without a home, or worry about where the food for our next meal will come from.

It’s time for us to choose to prioritise the wellbeing of everyone.

And that’s exactly what the Universal Wellbeing Payment will do.

It’s a regular payment made to each of us to ensure our minimum standard of wellbeing. No means testing, no bureaucracy, no strings attached.

It’s the amount you’re owed simply for being a participant in our society.

It means you are free to live your life and contribute to society as you see fit, whether you’re a carer, an artist, a student, a parent, an entrepreneur – you can get on with what you need to do, knowing that you will always be supported regardless of your income.

It means that we’re choosing to structure our economy for the benefit of all of us, not using our collective wealth to prop up the interests of big business and the wealthy few.

It means you will always have what you need to live a good life, no matter what.

The Universal Wellbeing Payment is for everyone. Help us make it happen.

For more information, head to universalwellbeingpayment.com.au

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Sydney is losing creative workers at four times the national rate

A UNIVERSAL WELLBEING PAYMENT FOR NSW

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