Five things you need to know about Crowe’s film studio plan for Coffs Harbour
Coffs Harbour is buzzing following Russell’s Pacific Bay bombshell, here’s what you need to know about his $438M vision.
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It’s a massive project which has the potential to catapult the Coffs Coast to the world stage.
Rumours had been swirling for some time, but this week Oscar-winning actor Russell Crowe, officially revealed his plans to build a major film studio at Pacific Bay Resort.
“(It’ll be) a world-class facility for anyone from anywhere to come and work here from Hollywood to Bollywood, or some kid who lives out in the (Orara) Valley,” he said.
With the Coffs Coast buzzing with excitement following the announcement, we’ve broken down the grand plans for you.
1. It’ll be the first of its kind in Australia
Dubbed Pacific Bay Resort Studios & Village, the project spearheaded by Crowe, resort owner Peter Montgomery and film producer Keith Rodgers will be the first fully integrated feature-film production and post production complex in the country.
The studios will cater for both major international feature films and local productions, combining advanced virtual studios and sounds stages with accommodation as visiting actors will be able to stay at the resort while filming.
It will also feature a film school, offering on-campus career training support by tertiary institutions including Australian Film, Television and Radio School to help meet the skills gap.
“Lifestyle filmmaking with education as the fabric of the studio is what will set out studios apart,” Keith Rodger said.
2. There’ll be a separate cultural space
Resort owner/operator Peter Montgomery is a former Olympian having represented Australia at water polo in four Olympic campaigns from 1972 to 1984.
He also served as chairman and vice president of the Australian Olympic Committee Athletes’ Commission for several years.
It’s no surprise then that his “dream” of enhancing Pacific Bay with filmmaking and cultural facilities includes an Olympic and film museum.
Complementing this will be an Indigenous art gallery, which will be integrated into the separate space.
3. There’ll be 2,000 acres of backlot
Backlots are large areas where outdoor scenes are filmed - and there’s two earmarked for the Coffs Coast.
The first includes 1,500 private acres of woodland and pastureland about 20 minutes from the studio atop the Great Dividing Range.
The second is the Bonville Golf Resort, also owned and operated by Mr Montgomery, offering a mansion-like clubhouse and accommodation surrounded by rainforest.
In addition to this, Pacific Bay Resort also offers direct beach access for marine production.
4. It’s estimated to cost over $438m and planning could take a year
Mr Montgomery confirmed that planning applications have been finalised for lodgement with the NSW Government as a State Significant Development.
These types of developments have to go through an extensive and often lengthy assessment process, however the team say they are off to a “good start” and hope to secure all necessary consents and approvals within the next 12 months.
At the official announcement at Pacific Bay Resort on Wednesday, Crowe said that he envisioned the studios to be up and running within the next three to five years.
No taxpayer funds have been committed to the project and the Capital Investment Value is estimated to be $438,560,000.
The project will be supported by the rezoning of Coffs Harbour as a Regional Jobs Precinct, which was also announced by Premier John Barilaro on Wednesday. This means the State Government will provide planning support to fast-track approvals.
“(It) allows us to get through the planning system – which we all know can be difficult – so we can deliver the project in a timely manner, so we can deliver on the vision and get on with it,” Mr Barilaro said.
5. It will take advantage of Coffs’ first data centre
Leading Edge Data Centres’ new facility at the Coffs Harbour Airport Enterprise Park will play a crucial role in film production at the studios.
The nearby facility will provide 400GB fibre links to the data centre – allowing for unparalleled data speeds and near-zero latency for real-time film production.
“Real-time data is a given if we’re to appeal to our industries top producers,” Keith Rodger said.
The data centre marks one of the first enterprises to have officially lodge plans for the council-owned 98-lot development, which is anticipated to boost employment and attract a mixture of business and new aviation enterprises to the Coffs Coast.
“Leading Edge Data Centres is building a highly interconnected network of Tier III data centres in over 20 locations across regional Australia … The new Coffs Harbour data centre will be part of the meshed network, providing a highly secure, low latency connectivity network for local Coffs businesses,” CEO and founder Chris Thorpe said.
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