General News
26 September, 2026
Local firms in the spotlight
A $400,000 move to cast more local businesses in film and television productions shot in the Far North has been backed by Cairns Regional Council.
Councillors last week voted unanimously to apply for Queensland Government funding to establish a Cairns Creative and Screen Industries Connector program.
Division 6 councillor Kristy Vallely said the $400,000 plan would link local businesses to the companies which were filming films and doucmentaries in the region.
“We have so many great businesses here in Cairns, but are they connected? Do they understand what they can do for the film industry?,” Cr Vallely said.
She said Cairns had already missed out in the making of television series ‘Black Snow’, which was filmed in the Far North earlier this year.
“They had to bring a lot of people up that they felt that they needed here,” she said.
“Were they connected to the people (and businesses) that we already have here? Maybe not and maybe the businesses that are here didn’t know that this movie was coming to Cairns. So I think this is vital.”
Division 7 councillor Anna Middleton said hospitality, horticulture and accommodation sectors could also be involved.
“It’s not just what you see when they’re filming,” she said.
“There are businesses that supply everything from plants to coffee. (There’s also a) little bar in the city that I believe did very well out of the Screen Queensland staff.”
Mayor Amy Eden said seeking the funding through the Regional Business Gateways program made good business sense.
“I probably just want to address some of the commentary that I’ve seen online, that this is a waste of ratepayers money,” Cr Eden said.
“We’re applying for a funding application of $400,000 and, while we do have a part-time film liaison officer paid out of ratepayers’ money, as we’ve demonstrated, Black Snow brought in around $11.2 million to our economy.
“So, if you’re looking at a return on investment, it’s a very solid one.”
A council report said many local businesses were unaware Cairns had a film studio and were therefore also unaware of the potential opportunities of supplying into film productions.
“This project aims to identify the scale of opportunity and associated supply-chain gaps and provide a structured program to help businesses understand the supply-chain opportunities,” it said. The report said council would work with Screen Queensland and Cairns Chamber of Commerce to roll-out the program.
