Redfern and Olympic Park sites considered for new $100 million project
The NSW government said it was advancing plans to establish a second major film studio that would bring international film and television blockbusters to the state, as new data reveals Queensland has officially overtaken NSW as Australia’s leading cinema production centre.
Expressions of interest will open in late March to fulfill the Minns government’s promised $100 million investment in new sound stages and production facilities.
Market benchmarks suggest disused rail yards at Redfern, owned by Transport NSW, and a site at Sydney Olympic Park near the Armory, are likely to be at the forefront of next-generation Sydney facilities producing new film and television content. The only existing production facility in NSW is Disney Studios at Moore Park.
The move comes as Screen Australia’s latest drama report showed Queensland snatched 34 per cent of national production spend in 2024-25, doubling its share from the previous year, eclipsing NSW (31 per cent), Victoria (27 per cent) and South Australia (3 per cent).
Queensland’s growth has been fueled by big-budget “tent pole” productions filmed on the Gold Coast. Godzilla x Kong: Supernova And Voltronand other competitive incentives and infrastructure offered overseas and interstate. NSW auteur Baz Luhrmann launches production company on ‘Goldiewood’ after filming Elvis.
The NSW screen and digital gaming industry, which provides more than $1 billion a year to the NSW economy as Queensland grows, has issued stark warnings. Industry leaders claim they won’t be able to get studio time at Moore Park at a critical time when skyrocketing production costs in the US and UK are driving international projects towards Australia.
Infrastructure shortage recently affected Amazon space balls The sequel will be released in 2027. Co-written by Josh Gad, the parody production, which was unable to find space on Disney’s 32-acre property, shot key studio scenes in a repurposed war depot in Granville.
Wayne Pashley is the audio wizard behind Australian blockbusters Mad Max: Fury Road, Elvis And The Great Gatsby He applauded the government for committing to doing what previous governments failed to do despite repeated warnings from the industry.
“That’s why so many tradespeople and companies are heading north. Frankly, there’s nothing more urgent for the NSW film industry than the construction of soundstages where the industry is actually located. The irony is that we know US studios and producers are dying to shoot in Sydney, but they can’t because there’s no soundstage. It’s a hugely frustrating economic own goal.”
In its Christmas Eve message to the film industry, Screen NSW acknowledged reports that Sydney was missing out on major international productions due to a lack of available soundstages and production space, saying recent market research and research confirmed the urgent need for additional production space.
The winning partner will be asked to establish a film studio on state-owned land located approximately 35 kilometers from the Sydney CBD, with strong links to major road networks and “key success factors identified by the industry in previous market research”.
Applications will be judged against the government’s objectives to strengthen capacity, produce international blockbusters, create local jobs and ensure NSW remains the country’s screen powerhouse, with development supported by joint investment from a $100 million capital fund.
The proposed criteria appear to rule out government investment in separate film studio proposals for the Central Coast and Oran Park, which are outside the government’s preferred 35-kilometre zone.
Private consortium Distillery Capital wants to build eight state-of-the-art sound studios, co-located editing suites and rehearsal spaces, public green space and up to 500 affordable inner-city homes on disused railway yards in Redfern. A consortium of local filmmakers, architects and a construction giant have submitted their unofficial proposals for North Eveleigh to the government.
University of Sydney vice-chancellor Mark Scott sees the Eveleigh plans as a way to finally realize a long-desired bridge connecting the Australian Technology Park to Carriageworks and the surrounding Technology Center precinct, while also providing much-needed student accommodation.
The acquisition process comes amid a leadership change at Screen NSW, following the resignation of chairman Kyas Hepworth and ahead of the appointment of a new managing director. She was the first First Nations woman to lead the agency.
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