SYDNEY-- The Australian government has promised AUS$20 million ($19.6 million) to boost its film locations incentive program as a precursor to an increase in the Location Offset should the value of the Australian dollar remain high against foreign currencies, particularly the U.S. dollar.
Announcing the one-off investment on Wednesday, as part of the government’s $230 million Creative Australia national arts policy, Federal arts minister Simon Crean said the “new incentive fund is in addition to our investment in securing The Wolverine, and the current negotiations with Disney to secure 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Captain Nemo.”
Australia’s main locations incentive consists of a 16.5 percent tax offset. The industry has been lobbying the centre-left government to increase that to 30 percent in the last twelve months but Crean has been considering an increase in the incentive only on a case-by-case basis.
Twentieth Century Fox was successful in getting an increase in the incentive reportedly worth around $12 million for The Wolverinewhich was shot in Sydney last year.
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