Fiona Scott (Lindsay, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Will the minister update the House about how Australia's creative industries are driving jobs, economic growth and promoting Australia's reputation overseas as a dynamic and innovative country?

Ms Julie Bishop (Curtin, Liberal Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Lindsay for her question. In wishing her a happy birthday, I thank her for her support of our creative industries and, particularly, her support for the National Science and Innovation Agenda strategy that was released by the Prime Minister last December.

Australians are amongst the most creative and talented people on earth. Our international reputation for creativity and innovation was further enhanced last night at the film industry's most prestigious awards, the Academy Awards. The Australian film Mad Max: Fury Road won six Oscars—the most of any film last night—making it the most successful Australian film at the Oscars in our history.

Honourable members: Hear, hear!

Co-financed by RatPac-Dune Entertainment and Village Roadshow, and co-produced by Kennedy Miller Mitchell productions, Village Roadshow and Warner Bros., Mad Max: Fury Roadswept the technical categories of the Oscars, winning for best film editing, production design, sound mixing, sound editing, hairstyling and make-up, and costume design.

I know that the member for Lindsay will be delighted with the success of this film for part of the post-apocalyptic film was actually done in Lindsay in a sand mine in Penrith Lakes. I know that the people of Lindsay were delighted by the filming and post-production work that was done in the electorate because, as it has been estimated, the filming and post-production work generated about $80 million in production expenditure and employed about 2,000 people. Also, 3,000 Australian businesses were used to provide goods and services.

The film and television industry in Australia is a serious business. It generates about $6 billion worth of funding, and that is injected into our GDP. The film and television industry employs about 55,000 Australians on a full-time basis. The director of the film, Dr George Miller, was honoured earlier this year at the G'Day USA event in Los Angeles—the government's premier USA public diplomacy event—with a lifetime achievement award for his contribution to the Australian film and television industry not only through the Mad Max franchise but also through films like Happy Feetand Babe.

So I congratulate George Miller and his team for promoting Australia on the global stage. (Time expired)