The New South Wales Central Coast could step up as one of Australia’s major screen production centres, if an ambitious new creative hub gets the go ahead.
Presented Monday, June 23rd, Central Coast Studios is pitched as a state-of-the-art facility, which would feature ten state-of-the-art sound stages, the nation’s largest water tank and more.
With a price tag of $230 million, the proposed studios are drawn-up at a secured 30-hectare site at Calga, about an hour’s drive north of Sydney, serving film, TV, games, live performance, esports and virtual production.
The space would also include production offices, a training and education precinct, film museum, helipad, integrated hospitality offerings, and considerable room to grow.
“Our proposed precinct will be the largest and most advanced of its kind in the country,” a rep tells Variety AU/NZ.
The proposals are laid out following the Minns Government’s commitment to a $380 million support package for the screen industry, including $100 million for a capital fund to support a new production facility.
“For us,” says Heath Bonnefin, co-director of Central Coast Studios and developer, “this is a game-changing investment in the Coast’s creative and economic future.”
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With the site already secured, the team is confident that the project could proceed under a self-funded, staged model, though support from government would “accelerate development”.
The vision for the Studios, Bonnefin adds, “is to put our beautiful region on the map – globally – as a leading destination for film, television and digital game production.”
Early modelling from the foundation team suggests the precinct would generate more than $500 million in annual economic benefit for the region, and create 2,500 jobs across Greater Sydney.
Already, the project has the thumbs-up from Claire Pullen, Group CEO, Australian Writers’ Guild and Australian Writers Guild Authorship Collecting Society; state member for Gosford, Liesl Tesch MP; federal member for Robertson. Dr Gordon Reid MP and others.
Last weekend, the Minns government announced it would put $100 million aside as the hunt started for Sydney’s second film studio, after Disney Studios Australia at Moore Park.
“With Australian storytelling becoming a bigger export earner by the year, there is a critical shortage of production space”, reads a statement, noting that, since 2021, studio films in Sydney made “Thor: Love & Thunder”, “Mad Max Furiosa”, “The Fall Guy”, “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” and “I Know What You Did Last Summer”.
The state government’s package includes $280 million for programs to support the sector”, comments state minister for the arts John Graham. “The industry has been calling for a second studio space in Sydney to make sure local producers aren’t being squeezed out by the big overseas productions. This $100 million capital fund will pave the way for the delivery of this studio.”
Visit centralcoaststudios.com.au for more.