The Media Entertainment & Arts Alliance has called on the Federal Government to raise the Location Offset tax rebate to 30 per cent when it launches its long-awaited National Cultural Policy on March 13.
It follows media reports that Arts Minister Simon Crean would address concerns around the Location Offset at the National Press Club policy launch on March 13.
The government effectively increased the 16.5 per cent Offset to 30 per cent with a $12.8 million one-off payment to lure The Wolverine to shoot in Australia last year and recently made a similar offer to win 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Captain Nemo. However, big-budget sci-fi film Jupiter Ascending (currently in pre-production in the UK) did not receive a one-off offer to shoot in Australia.
Mal Tulloch, director of the Entertainment, Crew and Sport section of the Alliance, said: “Without permanently increasing the Location Offset to 30 per cent, we will see the big-budget international productions that create thousands of jobs and provide invaluable training opportunities for Australian workers head elsewhere – not upping the Offset is placing the future of Australia’s filmmaking industry in jeopardy and Australian crews at risk of long-term unemployment.
“It’s time the government made a strong commitment to the Australian film industry by raising the location offset to 30 per cent to ensure Australia’s film incentives are internationally competitive and Australia is still a desirable location for film production despite the high Australian dollar,” Tulloch said.
Contact this reporter at bswift@www.if.com.au or on Twitter at @bcswift.