Survivors do battle in Towers landscape
CHARTERS Towers’ worst-kept secret has scored nearly $4m in support to help boost regional Australia.
While Survivor Australia has been filmed overseas in recent years, northern Queensland has scored with the much-loved reality show picking an Outback landscape amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The show, which is expected to start filming in Charters Towers this week, has received $3.9m from the federal government’s Location Incentive fund.
The filming of the seventh season in Charters Towers follows a successful period filming season six in Cloncurry.
Arts Minister Paul Fletcher said production was expected to inject more than $29m into Charters Towers.
“Australia’s amazing landscapes are once again being showcased to the world on Aus- tralian Survivor, r stimulating tourism in Charters Towers and creating work for around 250 local al businesses,” Minis- ter Fletcher said.
“The production n will provide significant work for 250 Australian crew in n regional Queens- land to develop skills to grow and enhance this nation’s screen industry.”
Endemol Shine Australia Chief Executive Officer Peter Newman said Cloncurry had provided a “visually stunning” backdrop for the show.
“We know that Charters Towers will provide an equally rich Australian backdrop fo for th the S Survivors i to battle it out,” Mr Newman said.
“We look forward to working closely with the local community and crew and supporting the Charters Towers economy throughout a successful production period.”
Viacomcbs Australia & New Zealand chief content officer and
EVP E Beverley Mcgarvey said Australian tr Survivor: , Brains vs Brawn was w m extremely successful.
“The North Queensland Outba back presents many physical challe lenges for our castaways due to the un uniquely beautiful but harsh and challenging ch environment, expect to see se these contestants pushed to their th limits,” Ms Mcgarvey said. “We can’t wait to show you what w Queensland has in store this ti time around.”
To date, the federal government m has distributed more than $250m under the Location Incentive to attract 26 international productions to Australia, generating more than $2.72bn of expenditure in the economy, providing more than 17,100 employment opportunities for local cast and crew, and creating work for over 15,800 businesses that support these big productions.