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The Hon. RON DYER: My question is directed to the Treasurer, and Minister for State Development. I preface my question by advising the Treasurer that I take a keen interest in the mid North Coast as the duty member of the Legislative Council for Coffs Harbour and Oxley. Will the Treasurer advise the House of the latest boost to regional New South Wales from the film industry?
The Hon. MICHAEL EGAN: I am very pleased to do that. I also advise and remind honourable members, particularly those who are keen to contest the State election in March, not to forget to enrol to vote. The Liberal Party Treasury spokesman in Victoria has just been ruled out as a candidate in the upcoming Victorian State election because he failed to enrol as a voter. That is the state of the Liberal Party in Victoria: its members cannot even remember to enrol to vote. What a pathetic Opposition! This was the fellow to whom they wanted to entrust the State's finances. The Victorian Liberals wanted to entrust a budget of more than $20 billion to someone who could not even manage to enrol to vote.
The Hon. Greg Pearce: Point of order: The sessional orders clearly require answers by Ministers to be relevant to the questions asked. Madam President, I ask you to direct the Treasurer to answer the question.
The PRESIDENT: Order! The sessional orders relating to questions without notice require an answer to be relevant to the question asked. I ask the Treasurer to return to the question.
The Hon. MICHAEL EGAN: I will certainly abide by your ruling, Madam President, but I point out that I am about to give an answer regarding film-making and I thought that would be an excellent subject for a film. I am pleased to advise that the mid North Coast could soon be the new Bollywood, as Indian producers scout the region for future productions. Film actor-producer Mr Anupam Sharma is scheduled to visit the mid North Coast on 19 November to scout film locations for several major Indian film and television productions. Mr Sharma took part in the Government's regional film investment tour that was held in the Hunter and in Broken Hill earlier this year. In the past two years 40 films, television advertisements and videos for the Indian market have been shot in Australia. Let us put that in context. The Indian film industry makes about 1,000 movies a year. On any given day some 20 million citizens of India—which is a little more than Australia's entire population—will see a movie.
Mr Sharma said Australia had been very popular with Bollywood over the past four years. The reasons for its popularity include the variety of picturesque locations, cost-effective productions and a film-friendly environment, with strong support from government. In fact, there has been a deluge of inquiries from Bollywood about basing future productions in this part of the State. Mr Sharma is currently working on his own documentary, Bollywood Down Under, which outlines Bollywood's fascination with Australia. The film is due for release in March next year.
Mr Sharma's visit to the mid North Coast will be co-ordinated out of the Mid North Coast Film Office at Port Macquarie. The office is hoping to attract three feature films and 12 television commercials, which would pump at least $1.5 million into local economies and generate jobs. For example, the recent feature film Danny was shot at Bellingen and used 350 locals as extras. It brought additional expenditure of more than $800,000 to the area during May and June this year. The film and television industry in New South Wales has grown by 73 per cent since 1995, contributing revenue of $3.5 billion to the State. In the past five years feature and documentary production has pumped nearly $10 million into regional economies and directly employed almost 3,000 local people on local productions.
If honourable members have further questions, I suggest they put them on notice.