The Central Coast has entered the conversation surrounding the location of a second NSW studio, with plans for a $230 million screen production precinct in Calga released to the public.
Backed by a team of producers, architects, and regional advocates, the Central Coast Studios proposal features ten purpose-built sound stages, Australia’s largest water tank, production offices, post-production and digital media spaces, an on-site training and education hub, and integrated hospitality offerings.
The 30-hectare site is expected to generate more than 2,500 direct and indirect jobs during construction and operation and inject $500 million into the economy.
Central Coast Studios Pty Ltd lodged the proposal via the NSW Government’s State Significant Development pathway in February and is currently awaiting the Secretary’s Environmental Assessment Requirements (SEARs) feedback.
The proposal, first conceived in 2020, was included in the recent Central Coast Infrastructure Investment Guide 2025–2030, a collaboration between Business NSW (BNSW), Regional Development Australia Central Coast (RDACC), Central Coast Industry Connect (CCIC), the Urban Development Institute of Australia (UDIA), and the Property Council of Australia.
The release of the plans comes ahead of the 2025/26 NSW budget, where the state government is expected to announce a $380 million package of screen and digital games support, including a $100 million capital fund towards a second Sydney studio.
It followed a market sounding process from Create NSW on behalf of the government to assess the need for new sound stages and screen production facilities for the state.
Among the proposals being considered are a mega-complex next to the Silverwater Correctional Complex, a plan for multiple sound stages on an industrial site within five kilometres of the CBD, and a redundant industrial site next to the Carriageworks in Eveleigh. Greenfields Development Company also lodged a DA with Camden Council for a $127 million project at Oran Park in Sydney’s south west earlier this year.
According to Central Coast Studios Pty Ltd, the proposed Calga precinct is capable of proceeding under a self-funded, staged delivery model, but government support would “accelerate development and unlock broader economic, educational and cultural benefits for the region and the state”.
Developer and Central Coast Studios co-director Heath Bonnefin said the aim was to put the Central Coast on the map globally as a leading destination for film, television, and digital game production.
“The proposed studios precinct will not only create hundreds of professional roles in film, television and game development there on the Coast, but will create a host of new opportunities across tourism, education and small business while future-proofing and showcasing Greater Sydney,” he said.
“For us, this is a game-changing investment in the Coast’s creative and economic future.”
Central Coast Studios co-founder, screenwriter,r and first assistant director, Craig Giles, said the facility had the potential to unlock a new era for the state’s screen sector.
“As a working screenwriter and assistant director, I’ve seen firsthand the demand for purpose-built production infrastructure in NSW, particularly within Greater Sydney,” he said.
“This facility has the potential to draw major international productions back to NSW—productions that are already choosing Queensland or Victoria because the infrastructure and incentives are better.”
CKDS Architecture founding director and principal architect Caine King said the design for the precinct highlighted Australia’s natural beauty.
“The design for Central Coast Studios has not only been about building the right infrastructure, but about imagining a connected, inclusive and future-facing creative precinct that can grow with the industry and the region,” he said.