CONSTITUENCY STATEMENTS

Ms BYRNES (Cunningham) (16:41): In the Illawarra, we're working across all levels of government and with local industry to establish Wollongong as a film friendly city, and we recently secured another major boost towards that future. Our region has already been the backdrop for Hollywood heavyweights such as Russell Crowe and Pamela Anderson. Now Chris Hemsworth and Idris Elba have joined that list.

The two superstars spent a good chunk of July enjoying the sights and some local hospitality while they filmed their new movie Extraction 3 in Port Kembla. Ask any local and they will tell you that the Illawarra has everything. We've got a picturesque location, a thriving industry, proximity to Sydney and a hugely talented, hard working and passionate community—a perfect recipe for film productions.

While the stars generated plenty of excitement, what excited me most was the opportunity for local people and businesses as Hollywood continues to see our potential as a dynamic film location. Without giving too much away, a key scene takes place aboard a massive cargo ship, one that could be perfectly housed at Squadron Energy's gas terminal on Port Kembla Harbour.

I was lucky enough to get a behind-the-scenes look at this impressive production. An Aussie himself, Chris Hemsworth is the driving force behind bringing this production to Australia, but it was some of our own who were instrumental in Port Kembla becoming the winning location. Finding an available cargo ship of this size and a port that could accommodate it was no small feat, but Peter Ernst from the Port Authority of New South Wales made it look easy.

When Pete got the call, he knew exactly what to do. He knows our region like the back of his hand. He knows everyone in the industry and who might have an empty berth, and he even had a ship guy he could call.

And when there was a hiccup, he knew which MPs could help. Thank you so much, Pete, for helping to put the Illawarra on Hollywood's map once again. It was also reassuring to hear that the Albanese Labor government's Location Offset helped make Australia internationally competitive for this major film.

A big thank you to producer Patrick Newall, director Sam Hargrave supervising location manager Lisa Scope, Chris Hemsworth and the entire cast and crew for being so very generous with your time during our visit to the set and also for choosing the Illawarra. I'd also like to thank Screen New South Wales, Screen Australia and Netflix Australia for helping make this production in Port Kembla a reality.

I can't wait to see which productions we attract next.