Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Broadcast: 19/08/2010
Reporter: Peter McCutcheon
Many artists, wholesalers and retailers within the aboriginal arts industry say they are struggling. Blaming in part the recent decline in international tourism but they also say a flood of pseudo-aboriginal craft imports from Bali, China and Vietnam is damaging the market.

Transcript

KERRY O’BRIEN, PRESENTER: A moment away from politics now to a story about the Aboriginal arts and crafts industry, which has an estimated worth of several hundred million dollars a year.

Yet many in the industry complain they’re struggling to survive.

Artists, wholesalers and retailers in part blame the recent decline in international tourism, which in turn has led to a drop in the sales of souvenirs.

But they also complain of increasing competition from overseas, with a flood of pseudo-Aboriginal craft imports from Bali, China and Vietnam.

Many in the industry are calling for restrictions on boomerang and Didjeridoo imports and tighter labelling laws.

Peter McCutcheon reports.

(Didgeridoo plays)

JOE SKEEN JUNIOR, MURRA WOLKA CREATIONS: We’ve been doing this for about twenty years. We’re third generation. Mr dad’s father started it all off.

We are 100 per cent Aboriginal owned and operated.

That’s a pretty good one, dad.