$7m film studio gets go-ahead

Emily Barclay in the New Zealand-made film In My Father's Den. Picture / Jane Ussher

One of the biggest film studios in the country will be built in West Auckland in line with plans to turn Henderson Valley into the "Hollywood of the South Pacific".

The Waitakere City Council is seeking a joint-venture partner to build a $7 million studio on vacant land at its Henderson Valley Studios.

The plan is to sell the present studio for $6 million to a joint-venture company and take a 40 per cent investment in both it and a management company to run the studio complex.

The company has to raise the money for the development of the new 2000sq m studio.

Director Peter Jackson's $12 million Stone Street sound stage facility in the Wellington suburb of Miramar is 2240 sq m - said to be the largest studio in the South Pacific.

But the height of the sound stage is 12m, compared with the 15m proposed for Henderson.

Height is important when it come to having sets such as a two-storey house or a helicopter hanging from the rafters.

Film Auckland chairman Peter Parnham said size was not the issue.

"Both of them will benefit the national scene by increasing the overall capacity of quality sound stages."

Mayor Bob Harvey said the council and its business arm, Enterprise Waitakere, were in talks with five "very interested parties".

"I believe it will be heavily over-subscribed because it's such a good investment."

Mr Harvey, a member of the Film Commission, hopes to make Henderson Valley the "Hollywood of the South Pacific", based on the city's production facilities and natural landforms.

The studios have been used for films such as Bogeyman, In My Father's Den, The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe and, coming up, Madigan's Rainbow.

Three films exhibiting at the Cannes Festival came from the studios, which were also heavily used by television companies, said Mr Harvey.

The film industry brought in $64 million a year to the local economy and was one of Waitakere City's biggest employers.

"We are on a terrific roll. This is one of the most gilt-edged investments that any council could have,' Mr Harvey said.

The council bought the disused apple coolstore in October 2002 for $3.85 million and approved an $80,000 basic conversion to a studio.

In July 2003, the council approved an $887,000 stage-two upgrade to operational production studio standard.

The council and Enterprise Waitakere have secured $1 million of Government funding for the stage-three studio development - contingent on a 50 per cent participation by the private sector.

The council's property arm, Waitakere Properties, recommended that the council create a joint-venture company with a private concern. The council would contribute the current studios and private investors would pay for the new studio.

The council would reduce its control of the studio site, but this was consistent with its intent to be a facilitator of business in the city.

In July 2003, the Government brought in a Large Screen Production Grant Scheme to allow film-makers spending more than $50 million on production in New Zealand to claim 12.5 per cent of their costs back as a grant.