The federal government appears to have shelved its long-promised local content rules for streamers.

Plans to require streaming platforms like Netflix, Amazon, and Paramount to produce a set amount of Australian content have reportedly been deferred without a clear timeline for re-evaluation, raising doubts about support for Australia’s screen industry. 

Originally slated for a July 1, 2024, rollout, the new content quotas were a key feature of Labor's arts policy, developed to stimulate the sector post-pandemic.

The government cited concerns over possible conflicts with Australia's US free trade agreement as a reason for the indefinite delay. 

“The interaction of any new local content rules with the US free trade deal was a stumbling block,” Arts Minister Tony Burke told reporters this week.  

He added that negotiations with the US are further complicated by the timing of the US election.

Screen Producers Australia, an advocate for local content mandates, has expressed frustration, accusing US streaming businesses of “weaponising the [US free trade deal] to delay the promised regulation”. 

Group says the current situation limits Australian audiences’ access to local content and challenges independent producers.

“We shouldn’t be letting the Americans dictate whether or not we protect and support our Australian stories and culture,” Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young said.

“The Albanese government has broken its promise to the screen sector and audiences in Australia.”

A spokesperson for the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts has told reporters that the government aims to introduce the legislation “as soon as practicable”.

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