Screen Producer Australia (SPA) has released its policy platform ahead of this year’s federal election, identifies “passing local content rules for streaming platforms” as its top priority.
Based on consultations with members, the platform outlines three focuses: Australians can see and hear their stories, strengthen the national screen bodies and public broadcasters, and build a competitive, fair screen framework.
Certain policy points include stronger intellectual property protection, support for independent screen business, additional funding for screen Australia and the country’s public broadcasting stations, increased offsets for television producers, and retained Australian IP. Higher incentives for projects, lower location offset thresholds, remove 65-hour caps for the DOCO series, PDV access to documentary features, and reforms to producer offset rules.
At the top of the list is a local content investment obligation for revenue or subscriber-related streaming. This is what the government has promised to provide through a five-year, $286 million cultural policy of the revival country, but so far has failed.
Matthew Deaner, CEO of SPA, whose organization continues to push for 20% obligations, said that the industry is “disappointing and annoyed” while the policy is stuck in Limbo, but the sector is not the same The part was left to suffer in the process.
“We need to broaden our commissioning base and provide additional funding to key institutions such as public broadcasters, national screenbody and screen Australia,” he said.
“Our public broadcasters are the only platform that plays a legislative role in prioritizing national identity and providing services to audiences for free, so they play a key social equity role. Screen Australia plays an important role in developing new talent and storytelling.
“We also need to make sure that the screen incentive framework is appropriate to attract investment, keep production local and maximize the profits of Australian creatives.
“We cannot see our precious screen industry slowly becoming obscured and abandoning the world-renowned decades of creative and technical achievements. Policymakers are It’s past time to deal with the changes brought about by the shift to an online streaming platform that overturned our sector and changed our business forever.
“With this combination of policy measures in place, we provide much-needed ballasts for our industry, putting us on the scaffolding we need to survive and thrive.”
Check out our policy platform here.
