Hidden gems like the Balgownie Scout Hall could appear on the silver screen more often, Wollongong City Council hopes. Photo: Zoe Cartwright.
You’ve heard of Wellywood – the little New Zealand outpost of Hollywood that brought us Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit.
The newest spot on the map for filmmakers? ‘Hollygong’ (OK, the name still needs a bit of development).
Councillor Linda Campbell moved that Wollongong City Council seeks early accreditation as a screen-friendly council under a new bill from the NSW Government.
The Screen and Digital Games Industries Bill 2025 has been adopted to encourage and support screen and digital games production in NSW.
“We have seen the interest, we know we have great locales and people with amazing backgrounds as cinematographers, directors and film electricians,” Cr Campbell said.
“If this bill gives us an advantage to strengthen our industry we need to go for it.”
For councils to be accredited as screen-friendly under the bill they must go “above and beyond” to encourage filming in their area.
This includes ensuring the default response to local production is supportive, unless there are specific reasons, approvals are timely and fees are reasonable.
Approval could also depend on effective, long-term compliance with the Local Government Filming Protocol, promoting filming in their area to the industry by contributing location images and information to the Screen NSW locations database and completing a Screen NSW run screen-friendly training and certification course.
Wollongong councillors of all political stripes supported the proposal, citing the potential economic and cultural benefits to the region.
Councillor Dan Hayes said it was important to be part of the proposal from its inception.
“We want to make sure it’s not Sydney-centric, because what we provide can be different and complementary,” he said.
“It’s not just about the entertainment value; it will provide jobs and value for our economy.”
Councillor Ann Martin said the film industry could provide a sense of pride and momentum to local places and causes.
It would also provide a boost to adjacent sectors like hospitality, transport and accommodation.
Councillor Kit Docker said the potential to retain film students after graduation with local jobs would be a boost to the economy and the community more broadly.
The debate did bring up one sore point, however – the ongoing lack of a cinema in the Wollongong CBD.
“It would be great if we could watch films produced in Wollongong, in Wollongong,” Cr Docker said.
Cr Hayes said the only drawback to a CBD cinema would be the impact on his hip pocket.
A recently announced 100 per cent tariff by the US on films produced in other countries was not mentioned during the debate.
Federal Arts Minister Tony Burke was adamant the Australian Government would stand up for local industry in the face of the tariff; however, it is as yet unknown what effect it may have on local filming.
The motion to seek early accreditation as a screen-friendly council was carried unanimously.
