The status of New South Wales as a world leader in the screen industry has been thrown into immediate jeopardy by the state government’s decision to go ahead with cuts to funding in next week’s Budget, says the union for screen workers.
The Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance said the cuts to the Made in NSW incentive program and to the Post, Digital & Visual Effects rebate will impact on thousands of jobs and small businesses in the state’s screen industry.
MEAA Chief Executive Erin Madeley met with Arts Minister John Graham on Thursday about the funding cuts, which were initially made by the Coalition Government shortly before the State election in March.
“These cuts will have devastating consequences for the NSW screen industry, jeopardising the state’s ability to attract productions and putting at risk thousands of jobs and small businesses,” she said.
“The Made in NSW program and PDV Rebate are essential parts of the screen industry architecture which act as an incentive to bring production to the state, with the flow on benefits of job creation and economic activity in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
“According to the government’s own figures, for every dollar spent on the Made in NSW program there is an economic benefit of $21. In its first two years alone, it generated $422 million of economic activity and 14,000 skilled jobs by bringing 33 domestic and offshore productions to NSW.
“The industry is already experiencing a slowdown with only one production currently shooting in NSW and due to wrap next week, and the defunding of this program will cause further damage to employment and the viability of small businesses, and result in the loss of skills in NSW.
“This will add to the stress and anxiety of our members in a sector that struggles to provide safe and secure work.
“While we appreciate the fiscal and economic pressure the Minns Government is under in delivering its first Budget, it is bitterly disappointing to the entire screen industry that it is persisting with these cuts made by its predecessor.
“This is a crisis for the credibility and competitiveness the screen sector in NSW.
“A vibrant and healthy screen sector must be a part of the NSW cultural policy, but the consequences of the decision to withhold funding from the sector will be measured not only in the loss of thousands of jobs, but also damage to the state’s reputation and the inevitable hit to the confidence of the people of NSW in the ability of the Minns Government to deliver a creative industries policy that respects our communities.”
MEAA will be calling a mass meeting of all screen members in Sydney next week to discuss what action they can take to ensure NSW remains a global destination for film and television production.
