Presented by Robert Clark MP		www.robertclark.net

DOUBTS OVER DOCKLANDS CHOICE FOR FILM STUDIOS

News Release - Thursday, 28 June, 2001

The State Opposition has questioned the wisdom of the Government's decision to spend $33 million of taxpayer funds and contribute $7 million of publicly owned land to build a film studio complex at Docklands.

While welcoming the news that Melbourne is to have new film studios, the Opposition said the choice of location and the amount of taxpayer funding appear to owe as much to the Government's inability to attract a diversity of investment to the Docklands as to the needs of the film industry.

"First of all the Studio City proposal fell over in February last year, then in July the Government was forced to put up $35 million in advance to build the Collins Street bridge that was to have been paid for by investors in the Batman's Hill precinct," the Shadow Minister for Major Projects, Robert Clark, said.

"As well, we have seen taxpayers forced to become owners of a $10 million pub at Federation Square after the Government undermined private sector confidence in that project.

"Now $40 million is being spent on taxpayer owned film studios at Docklands despite strong film industry support for an alternative proposal at Maidstone which would require only $10 million - $15 million of public funding.

"It is clear that the Government is having difficulty in attracting private sector funding to Docklands outside the traditional housing, commercial and retail sectors, and we need to be asking whether the decision to support studios at Docklands rather than Maidstone is driven by this as much as the film industry's requirements.

The Shadow Minister for the Arts, Lorraine Elliott, said she fully supported enhancing film and television production facilities in Melbourne, but there were serious concerns about the feasibility of building the studios at the Docklands.

"Film industry sources tell me that because of the location it will be difficult and expensive to achieve the required level studio floors without first sinking massive footings.

"As well, external noise and vibration will be a problem with heavy construction continuing around the Docklands for years, and well as traffic and aircraft noise.

"Overcoming these factors risks serious delay in getting the project up and running.

"The high cost of the Docklands studio also threatens to make it too expensive for the domestic film and TV industry. This and the delay put Victoria at risk of losing domestic TV and film production to Queensland and NSW, which are putting in big efforts to attract this domestic production."