In 2020, the Review of COAG Councils and Ministerial Forums (the Conran Review) disbanded the Meeting of Cultural Ministers, which had been the formal mechanism for ministerial-level intergovernmental engagement between Commonwealth, state and territory, and local governments. A further review of Ministerial Councils by National Cabinet in 2022 affirmed the decision not to re-establish the Meeting of Cultural Ministers, but allowed for Ministers to continue to meet on an ad hoc, as needed basis to progress important regulatory, statutory and priority issues.

In August 2022, Commonwealth, state and territory cultural ministers agreed to meet more regularly to better cooperate on opportunities and challenges for the arts and cultural sectors. They also agreed to invite a senior representative of the Australian Local Government Association and the New Zealand Minister for Arts to participate in future meetings. In October 2022, Commonwealth, state, and territory ministers and a senior representative of local governments met in Adelaide, where they agreed that Cultural Ministers would meet approximately twice a year, on an ad hoc basis, to progress work on arts and culture policy matters requiring intergovernmental cooperation to progress.

Documents related to the work of the former Meeting of Cultural Ministers can be found at the National Library of Australia’s Trove link below.

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