Federal Pre-Budget Submission 2024-2025

The CBAA is seeking a substantially increased funding allocation for community broadcasters in the 2024/25 Federal Budget to deliver Roadmap 2033: Community Broadcasting’s plan for greater impact in every Australian Community.

Increased, long-term and secure funding from the Australian Government is critical to support sustainable community broadcasting – for informed, connected communities.

CBAA’s Pre-Budget submission asks the Australian Government to put community broadcasting on a sustainable footing by allocating $40 million per annum to the Community Broadcasting Program (CBP) and $40 million to the Indigenous Broadcasting and Media Program (IBMP). This equates to over $18 million additional funding to each program. CBAA will continue to engage with the Government to have the ask considered.

CBAA has long held that current Government programs are underfunded. They have been in real decline and not kept pace with rising costs and increasing need from stations and their communities.

Current funding levels are insufficient to:

• meet station demand for grants
• meet growing community need for services
• support efficient, multi-year grant-making
• respond to technological, social, environmental and economic trends
• support investment to build station resilience, support innovation, enhance the sector’s community impact and deliver a better return on investment to taxpayers
• achieve social and economic outcomes desired by stations as well as community and government stakeholders.

Increased, long-term and secure funding from the Australian Government is critical to support community broadcasting to deliver positive impact for our communities.

CBAA’s Budget proposal would transform support for community broadcasting. It will support the sector to deliver outcomes for our communities articulated in Roadmap 2033.

To find out more about our proposal or to help generate support for our ask, please contact CBAA Head of Advocacy and Communications, Reece Kinnane (P: (02) 9318 9632; 0420 525 526; [email protected])