Adventure reality show “Australian Survivor” is to shoot in Queensland, Australia following the injection of cash from the federal government’s Location Incentive Fund. The first five seasons of the show, which airs on Network 10, had previously lensed in Pacific island countries Samoa and Fiji.
Preparations to shoot season six in Fiji had been under way before the coronavirus outbreak halted work in early 2020. Now, the Endemol Shine Australia show will be filmed deep in the outback, in Cloncurry, 1,700 km north-west of Brisbane. The area is known for its harsh climate and challenging weather conditions.
Federal Communications and Arts Minister Paul Fletcher said: “ ‘Australian Survivor was one of the many world–renowned productions jeopardized by the COVID-19 pandemic, which is why we are pleased to provide A$3.9 million ($3.02 million) to get the series back on our screens in 2021.” The federal Location Incentives Program, received a A$400 million ($310 million) funding injection intended to restart the film and TV production sectors.
Fletcher said the production should result in a $29 million ($22.5 million) boost to the regional economy. Separately, Queensland’s state Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said that the show “will inject an estimated A$14.6 million ($11.3 million) into the state’s economy and create approximately 150 jobs for Queensland crew.” The value of Queensland’s financial contribution to the production is not known.
“We’ve got a winning combination in terms of competitive incentives, fantastically diverse locations, best-in-the-business local crew and one of the world’s most COVID-safe environments,” Palaszczuk said.
“Australian Survivor” sees a group of diverse and tenacious people taken away from their everyday lives and left to fend for themselves in a remote location with little more than the clothes on their backs.
“Queensland is the place to film right now; the positive impacts flowing from our production boom are vast and varied, and my Government is doing everything in its power to maximize these benefits for all Queenslanders.
“Next month Ron Howard’s ‘Thirteen Lives’ starts production on the Gold Coast and Universal Studio Group’s ‘Joe Exotic’ will soon enter Screen Queensland Studios in Brisbane, while Netflix’s teen series ‘Dive Club’ recently wrapped in Port Douglas, Far North Queensland,” said Screen Queensland CEO Kylie Munnich.
Outback Queensland is also the setting in part for ABC’s ‘Total Control’ season 2, which returns to film in Winton this year with support from Screen Queensland.