Film protocol review aims to benefit communities

An increased focus on sharing the benefits of Auckland’s booming screen industry with local communities is the key recommendation of an Auckland Council Hearing Panel which reviewed the Auckland Film Protocol.

The panel considered written submissions and heard from a number of community groups as part of the first review of the protocol since it was released in early 2013. Its recommendations will be considered by council’s Governing Body on 28 May.

The Hearings Panel recommended minor changes including a region-wide alignment for permit fees charged to production companies which want to film in Auckland, effective November 2015.

The panel also recommended changes to recognise that Auckland’s volcanic cones are now co-governed by Tūpuna Maunga o Tāmaki Makaurau Authority. The protocol now outlines that a permit is required for any filming or commercial still photography on maunga.

Cr Denise Krum, Chair of the Hearings Panel, noted the objective of the protocol was to manage and grow the film industry in a consistent way across the region, and ensure Auckland is film friendly while still taking community interests into account.

“The Auckland Film Protocol is designed to deliver a customer-driven service to film companies in what is a competitive international industry. As filming activity across Auckland continues to expand, the protocol will help ensure we are able to work effectively with affected communities across the region,” says Cr Krum.

“The panel felt there was a need to ensure the huge positive benefits of the screen industry flow down to the communities where many productions are filmed. We recommended a number of mechanisms which we think will ensure that happens.”

They include: Screen Auckland continuing to work with local boards to promote and encourage filming activity in their area; fees from filming activities in local parks being transferred to the area’s Local and Sports Parks unit – and the local boards collaborating with Local and Sports Parks to determine how the revenue is spent; Auckland Transport to work with Screen Auckland to determine how best to redirect film fees recouped from filming on roads, paths and berms to the affected local boards.

The panel discussed trends in film making, and recommended amendments to extend the protocol to cover the increasing use of remotely piloted aircraft systems (better known as ‘drones’) in film making.

The review coincides with a boom year for filming in Auckland by television and feature film-makers. Last year, the screen production industry contributed about $650 million to Auckland’s economy – accounting for about 45 per cent of the national industry[1].

Screen Auckland, a division of Auckland Tourism, Events and Economic Development (ATEED), is responsible for permitting film productions on public open spaces across Auckland. So far this financial year, it has issued more than 430 permits – nearly twice the number issued by the same stage last year.

The proposed changes to film permit fees were publically notified last year and consulted on by council.

Cr Krum says: “There was clear industry support for regional consistency, and agreement with the concept of fees which are scaled according to the likely impact of a film shoot.”

ENDS

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