Australian Lending Rights Schemes expanded
Under the Australian Government’s new National Cultural Policy Revive: a place for every story, a story for every place, launched on the 30 January 2023, Australia’s Public and Educational Lending Right Schemes will be modernised. The main element to the modernisation will be to extend the schemes to include ebooks and audiobooks reflecting the evolving consumption patterns of readers. The new policy reflects the importance of providing sustainable pathways for artists and creative workers and the role lending right payments have as part of securing reliable and consistent income for writers.
The Australian Government has committed $12.9 million AUD (over four years) to extend the schemes with the first lending rights payments to include ebooks and audiobooks anticipated from June 2024. Information about Revive: a place for every story, a story for every place is available here: A new National Cultural Policy | Office for the Arts, Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts