Screen industry welcomes proposed reforms for streaming services - Make It Australian

The Australian screen industry welcomes news the Federal Government is considering introducing a local content quota for Netflix and other streaming services that currently have no obligation to produce original Australian content.

For the last four years Australian writers, producers, directors, crew and actors have been lobbying the Federal Government for forward-thinking policies that recognise drastic changes to audience viewing patterns, new technology and a hyper-competitive global market for screen production.

COVID-19 brought the local screen industry to its knees virtually overnight, but with the right policies the Federal Government has an opportunity to create thousands of jobs, support the rebuilding of Australia’s economy and signal a genuine commitment to keeping Australian stories on our screens.

As thousands of skilled writers, directors, creatives, technicians, performers and other workers face an uncertain future, Make it Australian is heartened by the Federal Government’s recognition of the need for regulatory action.

While it’s necessary to see more detail within today’s green paper, the proposal to create a law that requires streaming services to invest a percentage of their Australian revenue on local content gives a devastated local industry much hope for the future.

If the Federal Government gets this right the proposed changes could benefit Australian audiences for generations to come, increasing our ability to bring uniquely Australian stories to the screen.

As well as local content obligations for new market entrants like Netflix and Amazon, Make it Australian continues calling for competitive tax offsets, well-funded public broadcasters and screen agencies, and the guaranteed availability of original Australian children’s content.