Tax offsets, GST reductions, solutions to “theft of Australian authors’ work”: industry bodies’ submissions to next National Cultural Policy
As this Sunday’s deadline for submissions to the next National Cultural Policy approaches, Writing Australia and other industry bodies are calling on those in the publishing sector to shape the next iteration of the policy.
Australian Booksellers Association
In its submission, the Australian Booksellers Association (ABA) is calling on the government to establish a “skills training and certification program”; examine the feasibility of restrictions on deep discounting of new-release Australian titles “aligned with established European models”; investigate the case for GST reduction or exemption on books; and invest in “refreshing legacy data systems”.
The ABA also asks for the establishment of an Australian Independent Bookshop Tax Offset (AIBTO), which is “a refundable tax rebate on core operating expenses including wages, rent, and purchases of Australian-authored titles, modelled on the Australian Screen Production Incentive”.
Under the policy pillar “Engaging the Audience”, the ABA recommends the support of an Australian Book Voucher Program; and funding “ongoing grants to support bookshop event delivery”.
Australian Publishers Association
The Australian Publishers Association (APA) recommends “an Australian Book Fund to support new Australian works, First Nations publishing, culturally significant books, literary journals, promotion, discoverability and accessibility”; as well as increased support for the Public Lending Right and Educational Lending Right scheme; and “creative industries tax offsets or equivalent incentives for book publishing; investment in national book data, metadata, rights and supply-chain infrastructure”.
The APA also recommends a dedicated Books Australia export and rights program; funding for accessible publishing and inclusive discoverability; “copyright and AI settings based on consent, licensing, fair payment, transparency and enforcement”; and a stronger role for Writing Australia, “with major books-and-reading measures funded separately and at the scale required”.
Australian Society of Authors
The Australian Society of Authors (ASA) recommends direct investment in authors and illustrators; investment in First Nations–led writing and publishing; “solutions to the unprecedented theft of Australian authors’ work by multinational tech companies”; tax reform to support author careers; “adequate resourcing for Writing Australia”; and “commitment to educational interventions that support Australian authors and writing careers”.
Australia Reads
Australia Reads is asking for “national reading campaigns for adults, children and young people, helping them overcome the barriers to regular reading”; “a library in every school, with professional staff and collection budgets, and more support for educators and parents to create strong reading cultures for students”; “greater community access to books and reading through author touring initiatives, voucher schemes, and book club programs”; and “promotions showcasing Australian stories, highlighting contemporary titles and First Nations creators”.
Guidance for submissions
A broader sector-wide submission was developed through Books Create Australia (BCA) in consultation with industry partners APA, ABA, ASA, ALIA (Australian Library and Information Association) and collaborator Australia Reads.
The joint submission combines recommendations under the categories: respect First Nations storytelling and cultural authority; back Australian books and publishers; support authors’ careers; strengthen infrastructure: Writing Australia, libraries, bookshops, discovery and literary life; and build a reading nation.
To help members of the public in creating their own submissions, ABA offers a toolkit for booksellers and a toolkit for individuals; while the APA offers a template and preparation instructions and the ASA offers a template letter.
In a keynote at the recent ALIA National Conference, UTS professor and author Larissa Behrendt encouraged attendees “to not just reflect on the mechanics but to show support for the general direction” of the government’s cultural policy so far.
“The [National Cultural Policy’s] pillars themselves […] are statements about the kind of cultural nation we are choosing to be. ‘First Nations First’ is a commitment to truth and to the rightful ordering of story and authority. ‘A Place for Every Story’ insists that our national narrative is shared, not singular, and that dignity lies in being heard. ‘The Centrality of the Artist’ recognises that creativity is how we make meaning, challenge power, and imagine futures. ‘Strong Cultural Infrastructure’ acknowledges that culture does not sustain itself. It requires investment, stewardship and long-term thinking. And ‘Engaging the Audience’ reminds us that culture only lives when it is encountered, when it reaches people where they are, and when it invites them into the story.
“Taken together, these pillars articulate a vision of culture as civic, relational and essential.”
As previously reported, the Australian Government opened consultation in March this year to hear views on developing the next National Cultural Policy, 3 years after the launch of the 5-year policy Revive.
Submissions to the government can be made on the Office for the Arts website until 11.59pm AEST on Sunday 24 May 2026.
Category: Local news
