Anton Steel of the Bay of Plenty Film Trust puts the case for $75,000 Tauranga City Council contribution to establish a Regional Film Office. Photo/file
Seed funding of $75,000 a year for the next three years to help establish a regional film office has been earmarked to come from Tauranga's commercial ratepayers.
Final council sign-off for the money awaits decisions from the Bay's six other councils to contribute an additional $110,000 a year and Baytrust
granting $80,000.
The office will be intended to help lure movie makers to the Bay of Plenty.
Pukehina filmmaker Anton Steel pitched his idea to the council in March, saying the screen media industry was currently worth $3 billion a year to New Zealand, but only 1 per cent of the money was spent outside Auckland and Wellington in the North Island.
He asked the council to contribute $75,000 of the $261,000 needed each year from the region's councils and grant organisations to make the regional film office happen.
