A huge increase in filming projects has sparked policy debate at Byron Shire Council and across NSW

Enormous growth in regional filming projects has meant local councils have been burdened with processing far more applications; this is causing a strain on resources and a review of a statewide policy has been flagged.

Nicole Kidman’s production of Nine Perfect Strangers, a series based on the novel of the same name by Australian author Liane Moriarty, was one of several which involved filming in the Byron Shire in the past year.
Source – Instagram

Hollywood producers could have to jump through more hoops to film in the Byron Shire.

A NSW Government filming policy was meanwhile flagged for a review as staff on local councils find themselves putting a “significant amount of time and resourcing” into managing booming filming requests.

Byron Shire Councillor Cate Coorey has filed a notice of motion asking for the council to review its filming policy and application processes to “ensure that they are consistent with the new realities of film production in the shire and the region”.

Ms Coorey has also asked for their fee structure to be reviewed.

The Byron Shire had five major film projects proposed, and a further 31 “small scale applications” so far in the 2020-21 financial year.

This compared to just one major project, the SeaChange reboot, and 11 small-scale applications, in the previous 12 months.

Katrina Milosevic, Sigrid Thornton and Brooke Satchwell in a scene from the 2019 revival of TV series SeaChange. Supplied by Channel 9.

The major projects to have been filmed in the Byron Shire in the past year were three series including Nine Perfect Strangers, Eden, God’s Favourite Idiot and feature film Seriously Red.

Disney series The Wilds was slated for local filming but this application was withdrawn.

In comments attached to the motion, the council’s director of sustainable environment and economy, Shannon Burt, said the Byron, Tweed, Ballina and Lismore shires had “experienced a significant and ongoing increase in requests for local filming and local film production since 2020”.

Ms Burt said Byron was among the councils what could be consulted in a review of the state filming protocol.

“The Northern Rivers has become a place of choice by local and international film production companies, and local and international actors many of whom are now living here, the result of COVID impacting filming activities overseas,” Ms Burt said.

The Byron Shire and other parts of the Northern Rivers have been increasingly popular for major filming projects.

“In NSW more broadly, there has been a 90 per cent increase in production in the current financial year.”

Ms Burt said this spike was in part attributed to the $175 million Made in NSW fund designed to attract filming projects to NSW.

She said the NSW Government’s Local Government Filming Protocol 2009 was the relevant document for councils considering filming applications.

Ms Burt said this protocol makes a presumption “that councils will grant approvals to filming projects”, except in “exceptional circumstances”.

“Exceptional circumstances and ability to refuse a filming activity approval are limited,” she said.

Residents turned out in force at Main Beach, Byron Bay for a paddle out in protest against Netflix's planned Byron Baes reality show on the morning of Tuesday, April 20, 2021. Picture: Liana Boss

In an urgency motion raised by Ms Coorey at last week’s planning meeting, councillors resolved that filming activity related to Netflix reality show Byron Baes fell under such “exceptional circumstances”.

At that meeting, two councillors said filming for the show was already in progress.

In a motion brought by then-mayor Simon Richardson at the council’s April meeting, councillors resolved to write to Eureka Productions and Netflix “stating its disapproval and

opposition” to the program.

Councillors will consider the new motion at their May 27 ordinary meeting.