Skip to main content
Home
  • The Legislative Assembly meets on 16/04/2024 (01:00 PM)
    Assembly sit 16/04/2024
  • The Legislative Council meets on 16/04/2024 (01:00 PM)
    Council sit 16/04/2024
  • The Public Administration meets on 08/04/2024 (10:00 AM)
    Committee meet 08/04/2024

Parliamentary Questions


Question Without Notice No. 1107 asked in the Legislative Council on 15 November 2022 by Hon Colin De Grussa

Parliament: 41 Session: 1

FILM AND TELEVISION INDUSTRY — FUNDING

1107. Hon COLIN de GRUSSA to the parliamentary secretary representing the Minister for Culture and the Arts:

I refer to funding for film and television production, Screenwest and the proposed film studio in Whiteman Park.

(1) Has the minister considered increasing funding to Screenwest in order to assist WA in securing future film and television projects; and, if not, why not?

(2) Other than grant programs, what is the government doing to facilitate and support local WA screen production, specifically in regional WA?

(3) Was the Whiteman Park location for the studio a recommendation of the film industry; and, if not, why was this location selected?

Hon SAMANTHA ROWE replied:

I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question and provide the following answer on behalf of the Minister for Culture and the Arts.

(1) The state government provides operational funding to Screenwest through the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries. In addition to this, it provides screen production and development funding through the Lotteries Commission Act 1990 and the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development. Screenwest operational funding received an 11 per cent increase to $3.465 million in 2022–23 and 2023–24 to increase the capacity of Screenwest to attract new film and television productions to the state and support the Western Australian screen industry.

(2) The state government is developing the WA screen industry strategy to guide the development of the screen industry in WA for the next 10 years. The strategy is being developed with the support of a cross-government working group with representatives from key agencies, the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries, the Department of Jobs, Tourism, Science and Innovation, the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, the Department of Treasury, Tourism Western Australia and Screenwest. The working group has been tasked to deliver a strategy that is aligned with whole-of-government policies, key policy statements including Diversify WA and the strategic outcomes of stakeholder agencies. The strategy will align with the state's economic diversification framework—Diversify WA—and will increase the capability of the WA government's key screen industry commitments, including the $105 million state-of-the-art screen production facility and the $20 million commitment to the establishment of the WA screen production attraction incentive fund. The screen industry strategy will leverage the existing commitment to the WA regional screen fund of $4 million a year to facilitate further employment and economic diversification outcomes for regional Western Australia.

(3) The Malaga location meets the criteria for the location of the screen production facility that were established in the problem and opportunity statement that was released to market in 2020. The proposed 16-hectare greenfield site is located off Marshall Road to the south of Whiteman Park and has been selected due to its location near to the future Malaga Metronet station, its proximity to the Perth CBD and airport, the scale of the available land and its direct access to major transport routes for travel within the city and to regional areas of the state.

The PRESIDENT: Thank you for that lengthy answer, parliamentary secretary.