For years, the Australian screen industry has been waiting and waiting for a streaming services legislation that would finally give local stories a fair go. Yesterday, the government announced it’s happening, although without a definitive timetable for debate or implementation.
The Albanese government will introduce a law requiring streaming giants with more than a million Australian subscribers to invest in local content, at least 10% of their total expenditure for Australia, or 7.5% of their revenue, in new Australian drama, children’s, documentary, arts and educational programs.
It’s a big moment. For the first time, platforms like Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon will have a legal obligation to contribute to Australian storytelling, not just profit from Australian audiences.
As Arts Minister Tony Burke said: “No matter which remote control you’re holding, Australian stories will be at your fingertips.”
So, yes, that’s worth celebrating. But, and there’s always a but, the model they’ve chosen isn’t exactly the one the industry asked for.
Groups like Save Australian Stories, Screen Producers Australia, and Documentary Australia have all welcomed the move while warning that the devil is well and truly in the detail. The heart of the debate lies in one small but crucial word: expenditure.
The government’s model lets streamers meet their obligation based on a percentage of their expenditure in Australia, rather than a percentage of their revenue earned from Australian audiences. On paper, that might sound like a technicality, but in practice, it’s a loophole big enough to drive a production truck through.
No other country uses the expenditure model because it’s so easy to game. With some creative accounting, a streamer can appear to meet its obligations while investing far less in genuine Australian productions.
The team at Save Australian Stories put it bluntly: “We have something in play (good), but the devil is in the detail. We have not won.”
Screen Producers Australia (SPA) struck an optimistic tone, calling it a landmark day that finally levels the playing field after a decade of lobbying. They praised the Albanese government’s critical action and years of engagement with the industry. But even SPA admits this isn’t a fix-all moment; it’s just the start of rebuilding confidence in local production.
Documentary Australia’s CEO, Mitzi Goldman, was heartened by the government’s commitment, but was clear about the sector’s disappointment. The industry’s united position during consultations was for a percentage-of-revenue model, the only one that guarantees investment grows in step with the streamers’ profits.
“By comparison,” Goldman said, “percentage of expenditure models have resulted in declining levels of investment over time.”
That’s the real risk here: that we’ll end up with a law that looks good in a press release but doesn’t actually put much more money into the system.
Still, there’s another way to look at it. Legislation, any legislation, is a foothold. It’s something to build on. Sometimes, the hardest thing isn’t perfecting a law; it’s getting one through Parliament in the first place. Once it’s there, it can be amended, strengthened, and improved.
That’s why many in the industry are urging people not to throw their hands up in frustration but to call their local MP and keep the pressure on.
A spokesperson for Save Australian Stories said the introduction of legislation is welcomed: “We’ve been waiting for years, and this is our best chance yet. But we need to get it right.”
Getting it right means defining Australian content robustly, protecting creators’ intellectual property, ensuring children’s and documentary content isn’t sidelined, and commissioning from independent producers rather than just in-house studios owned by the streamers themselves.
The truth is, Australian stories deserve more than token gestures. They’re how we see ourselves, and how the world sees us. They’re Bluey, Boy Swallows Universe, Wolf Creek and The Narrow Road to the Deep North. They’re small towns and big dreams, told in accents that sound like ours.
So yes, it’s a day worth celebrating. The government has finally moved from promise to action. But it’s also a day for watching closely, because the way this law works in practice will decide whether we get more Australian stories, or just more creative accounting.
And if there’s one thing we know for sure, it’s that the fight for Australian stories is far from over.
If you want to get involved, the Make It Australian take action page is a great resource explaining how you can help.
Website: https://makeitaustralian.com/take-action
Socials: https://www.instagram.com/screen_producer/
Hero image photo credit: Still from Boys Swallows Universe
