Councillors back idea of movie magic made in the Gong

If any investors or film studio execs were listening to the webcast of Monday’s Wollongong City Council meeting, they would have heard themselves warmly invited to give the Gong a go.

The Lord Mayor and all 12 councillors unanimously backed Cr Ann Martin’s motion for council to provide in principle and practical support to Screen Illawarra and establish a global film studio. 

“The city deserves to have a go at having a film and creative hub in the Illawarra,” Cr Martin said. 

“What I am doing through this motion is putting a very big flag up for the City of Wollongong, and in particular Port Kembla … I'm also talking to people interested in investment per se.”

Last year the NSW Government approved rezoning plans for 200 hectares of surplus land next to BlueScope's Port Kembla steelworks to become a mixed-use precinct in decades to come. Cr Martin said this provides “a unique opportunity” to establish new industries and diversify the economy. 

“The BlueScope land transformation will shift our momentum, and not only people in New South Wales, but I think nationally and to some extent internationally, people's perception of Wollongong,” she said.

While a film hub in the region would be welcome, Cr Martin said she wasn’t asking council to “chase investors” but to provide practical support in the form of data, advocacy and promotional materials. “Might I say very clearly, BlueScope owns the land, and they are not in the business of building film studios. They're in the business of a land transformation package.”

The Ward 3 Labor councillor ended her pitch by saying she hopes the motion “puts a ferret in the rabbit hole to get a few rabbits out there”.

BBC, Netflix invited to check out the Gong

Deputy Lord Mayor Cr Linda Campbell – who has starred as an extra in the locally filmed Return to Paradise TV series – seconded the motion.

Labor Cr Richard Martin told the meeting that the filmmakers of the BBC’s Death in Paradise spin-off recently returned to his ward, setting up at locations including Austinmer Scout Hall and Coledale Beach. 

“So if we've got some BBC people listening and they want to build a studio down here, come on down,” he said.

The Ward 1 councillor, who has worked for Warner Music, added: "I know that the Warner Brothers Studios on the Gold Coast are booked out for six years in advance, the Disney studios in Sydney about the same time, and Paramount down in Melbourne is booked out. So that really leaves us Netflix. 

“And I don't know whether anyone from Netflix is listening, but we do have some great stuff at BlueScope that they could do.”

Greens Cr Kit Docker said supporting Screen Illawarra made sense. “Although they do an amazing amount of work, they are a non-for-profit, volunteer-run organisation,” he said. “It does feel like this space is moving quick, and I'm very worried that we're starting to get behind.” 

‘A great sign’

Speaking on Tuesday, Screen Illawarra chair Nick Bolton said having councillors’ unanimous support was “a great sign”.

“Thanks to Ann Martin for her continued support for the arts and cultural precinct in Port Kembla. Screen Illawarra backs all arts and cultural organisations in the bid to make that happen, and we very much hope that a film studio will be part of that.”

Founded in 2019, Screen Illawarra has worked wonders on a shoestring, building a group of more than 400 members who’ve put the region on the global screen production map.

Nick Bolton is very proud of the work the organisation does.

“Over the last four years, Screen Illawarra have helped bring major productions down here, and if we had a studio as well as the amazing locations, then that's an even more attractive proposition to production companies,”

“Return to Paradise has just done block one on Season Three. They’ll be back later this year.

“Last year, there was Beast, the Russell Crowe/Luke Hemsworth job about the UFC fighter; the trailer’s out at the moment. Taika Waititi and Pamela Anderson filmed Place To Be here last year in Port Kembla. And then the year before that it was Disney’s Planet of the Apes; there was Stan’s Exposure, Paramount’s One Night.

“The list goes on and on of major productions that have come down here.”

While Screen Illawarra now officially has council’s support to bring even more filmmakers to the region, funding for the group’s advocacy is limited.

“We have one part-time employee doing 10 hours a week,” Nick said. “We've got 26 volunteers working for us, because there's so much to do.

“I would love to get somebody funded, to really properly do this outreach and policy and advocacy to help bring more productions down here, to try and get a studio built here, and to just further increase the amazing work that we've been doing for our local members and local community.”

In the meantime, Screen Illawarra continues with a busy schedule for its members. This week, a networking night was held on Tuesday at Headlands Hotel and on Wednesday Austinmer director Jasmin Tarasin’s new film, Life Could Be A Dream, premiered at Warrawong’s Gala Cinemas in fundraiser for Illawarra Women’s Trauma and Recovery Centre.

On Friday, six members – including Nick’s own award-winning production company Ten Alphas – will screen short films as part of the free Creative Wollongong Short Film Festival at Wollongong Botanic Garden.

“Then Saturday, we’ve got a grant writing workshop,” Nick says. “So it's a massive week.”

For more information, visit Screen Illawarra's website.