A report released in mid-March had recommended separating Australia's six state orchestras from the ABC and downsizing the orchestras in Adelaide, Tasmania, and Queensland. Arts ministers in the affected states were quick to condemn the report.

The ASO has a debt of about A$2.3 million, which will be paid down by the new funding.

Rainer Joseps, the orchestra's chief executive, said, "This announcement is a very significant one [for] the ASO; it's a rare occasion when such a significant amount of money is pledged to an arts organization."