MYSTERY ROAD — KALGOORLIE ELECTORATE
635. Ms A.E. KENT to the Minister for Culture and the Arts:
I
refer to the McGowan Labor government's commitment to diversify the
economy through its unprecedented support for Western Australia's
film and television industry.
(1) Can the minister update the
house on the filming of series 3 of the successful Mystery Road?
(2) Can the
minister outline to the house what local productions such as this mean for our
local economy, in particular jobs for our creative arts sector?
Mr D.A.
TEMPLEMAN replied:
(1)–(2) Yes,
yes, yes—the infiltrators. As an aside to ''The Infiltrator''—it
sounds like a good movie—I was in Exmouth
on Saturday morning. I can tell the member for North West Central one thing
that the shire and the chamber of commerce were telling me was how
appreciative they are of the fact that so many Western Australians are visiting
that wonderful part of Western Australia and the support that activity is
giving to businesses. I can tell the member that that is what they were telling
me on Saturday morning when I was in Exmouth. Sorry; it was Friday afternoon
when I was in Exmouth.
Mr V.A. Catania interjected.
The SPEAKER:
Member for North West Central, this is not your question. I ask you to desist
from interjecting.
Mr D.A.
TEMPLEMAN: The state of Western Australia, as we know, has been investing
heavily —
The SPEAKER:
Minister, I think we might have fewer interjections if you direct your comments
to me.
Mr D.A.
TEMPLEMAN: Yes; thank you, Madam Speaker.
As members would be very aware, the
WA McGowan government is very much focused on growing the creative industries
in Western Australia. We have continued to invest heavily in our screen
industry. It is wonderful that during these COVID times Western Australia's
activity in filming screen and television documentaries and series continues.
As we speak, that is continuing through Mystery Road series 3. It is
being filmed in the member for Kalgoorlie's magnificent electorate, of
course. We cannot underestimate—I am sure the member for Kalgoorlie
does not underestimate—the impact and importance of filming in our
regional country towns on local economies. We
know that not only do they bring production teams, actors and performers into
those communities, but also the procurement of much of the services is
localised so that during the filming program local businesses benefit—hospitality
businesses, accommodation et cetera.
This is a very, very important
investment in the screen industry. In the case of the Mystery Road
series, there have been two series. Series 1 was filmed in Kununurra and
Wyndham, in the East Kimberley. Series 2 was filmed in Broome. This series is
being filmed in the goldfields and Esperance. When the series are seen
worldwide—viewers are in the millions—we are also showcasing Western
Australia. When people see series 3, they will see backdrops of the magnificent
golden outback, our goldfields history and our ancient land, of course, which
celebrates our First Nations people. This has a direct impact on local
businesses, economies and creatives because, as the member knows—she is very supportive of the film
and television industry—the government has gone one step further in growing
this industry as a genuine contributor to the Western Australian economy. Of
course, that is our announcement of building
a film studio. There is a $105 million commitment to the film studio, with a $120
million investment fund that sits alongside that. It will mean that we will be
able to attract even more diversity of series, including blockbuster movies through to series like Outback Truckers
and Mystery Road to name a few. This is very important for our
economy and the creative industries. It means that young people from regional
WA—a young woman studying acting at the Western Australian Academy of
Performing Arts or a young person studying the technical side of things at
WAAPA, at one of our TAFEs or a university—will have a journey mapped
out in front of them and there will be the likelihood that they will not only
train here, but also work here in the film and screen industry. That is
brilliant for Western Australia, the creative industries and our economy. Who is
delivering it? The McGowan government. I am very proud to see us delivering
that, Madam Speaker.