The Greens will announce today, at the Screen Producers Australia Federal Election Forum, a commitment to establish a $1billion Australian Stories Fund and impose local content quotas on the global streaming giants, to help secure the future of the Australian screen industry.
The Australian Stories Fund would invest in the infrastructure, crew training and development needs of our screen industry, ensuring a robust and sustainable local industry able to keep creating high quality Australian content and telling our stories.
Greens Spokesperson for the Arts and Communication, Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said:
“Australian stories on our screens are essential in shaping national identity and reflecting the diversity of our community.
“We are home to some of the most talented filmmakers in the business, and it is high time they were given the support needed to focus on telling quality Australian stories.
“Hollywood discovered Australia as a premier filmmaking destination during the Covid-19 pandemic. After the bright lights and big names have gone home, we need to sustain our local industry to tell local stories.”
In balance of power in the next parliament, the Greens will also push to legislate local content quotas, in a move to regulate the global streaming giants profiting off Australian audiences.
“The Greens have a long history in fighting for stronger local content quotas on our televisions. Now much of viewing has shifted to streaming, regulation is needed to keep up with the nation’s expectation for local faces on our screens,” Senator Hanson-Young said.
“Netflix, Amazon Prime, Stan, Disney+ and now Paramount are growing in popularity and making a mint from Australian audiences. We will introduce new laws to require streaming services to invest 20 per cent of their earnings from Australian subscribers into Australian content creation.
“The Greens plan also ensures a sub-quota of 20 percent of the streaming giants’ local content quota to be made for children. It is so important for children to see themselves and their communities reflected on their screens.
“Investing in the screen industry puts Australian stories front and centre in the national conversation about quality film and television. Decades of local filmmaking shows Australia is an untapped talent in the industry on a global scale.”
Investing in Australian stories and regulating streaming services form part of the Greens’ Creative Australia policy, which can be viewed in full .
