western australia
ALMG’s Western Australian State Representatives
Claire Burton 0416 121 619
Rachael Hawkins 0477 103 958
WESTERN AUSTRALIA — Locations Overview
Capital City: Perth
Population (Greater Perth): approx. 2.3 million
Western Australia offers some of the most visually diverse and distinctive filming locations in Australia, with environments that can double for remote Australia, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and a wide range of arid, coastal, and frontier landscapes. Perth combines a modern cityscape with access to beaches, industrial zones, heritage precincts, and regional locations within practical reach.
The state’s screen reputation is built on highly skilled crews, expansive and often untouched locations, a growing studio and post-production ecosystem, and a production environment that supports both large-scale international projects and locally driven screen content. Western Australia also offers competitive state incentives that can be combined with federal offsets, making it an increasingly attractive destination for inbound and domestic production.
Western Australia’s locations range from metropolitan Perth to regional centres, mining and industrial zones, vast desert landscapes, rugged coastlines, forests, and remote communities. The state has supported feature films, television drama, international productions, documentaries, and commercials across a wide geographic footprint.
Practical Considerations When Filming in Western Australia
While Western Australia offers exceptional scale and location diversity, productions must plan carefully for distance, remoteness, and logistics.
Western Australia is geographically vast, and travel times between locations can be significant. Filming outside the Perth metropolitan area often requires additional planning around transport, accommodation, access to services, crew fatigue, and contingency planning.
Perth’s population density is lower than eastern capitals, but filming in the CBD and inner suburbs still requires careful coordination around:
Limited street parking in some precincts
Major events and seasonal tourism impacts
Traffic management and public access
Beach and coastal access restrictions
Regional and remote filming introduces additional considerations, including weather variability, access to medical services, limited infrastructure, and longer approval timeframes.
Western Australia has a mix of metropolitan councils, regional shires, and state agencies involved in filming approvals. Location Professionals must allow time for layered approvals, particularly when filming on Crown land, in National Parks, or in remote areas.
Working with Councils & Agencies in WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Early engagement is critical when filming in Western Australia, particularly for regional or remote projects.
For larger productions or projects involving complex locations:
Engage councils, land managers, and agencies early
Allow sufficient time for regional approvals and site access
Increase locations and production resources where required
Work closely with Screenwest for guidance on approvals, incentives, and production support
Screenwest plays an important role in supporting productions navigating state and local government processes, particularly for high-impact or regionally based shoots.
Agencies to Allow Extra Time For
Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA)
Manages National Parks, marine parks, and conservation areas
Permit timelines vary depending on location and environmental sensitivity
Drone approvals and environmentally sensitive locations require additional lead time
Local Government Authorities (Regional Shires)
Regional councils often have limited staff capacity
Approval processes may take longer than metropolitan councils
Early communication is essential
Marine & Coastal Authorities
Filming involving coastal waters, marine parks, or offshore activity may require multiple approvals
Tidal conditions and seasonal weather must be factored into planning
Councils Known for Supportive Filming Approaches
Filming support and turnaround times vary across Western Australia and can change depending on staffing and resourcing. Many regional shires are supportive of filming but require:
Clear communication
Realistic timeframes
Well-prepared applications
Location Professionals with existing relationships and regional experience are key to navigating these processes efficiently.
Studios
Perth Film Studios (opening 2026)
ABC Studios Perth
State Screen Authority - SCREENWEST
Screenwest is Western Australia’s state screen agency, supporting production through funding, incentives, studio development, and production liaison services. The agency works closely with Location Professionals from early enquiry through to delivery and plays a key role in supporting regional filming, inbound productions, and projects working across remote locations.
First Nations & Cultural Heritage Considerations — Western Australia
Location Professionals working in Western Australia must consider First Nations engagement, cultural heritage obligations, and Country-specific protocols as a core part of the location process.
Western Australia is home to a large number of Aboriginal Nations, each with distinct cultural, linguistic, and custodial responsibilities across an exceptionally vast geographic area. Requirements vary significantly depending on location, land tenure, local government, state agency, and the relevant Traditional Owner group.
Filming on Crown land, National Parks, marine and coastal areas, waterways, reserves, regional and remote land, or sites of cultural significance may trigger consultation requirements, cultural heritage assessments, or formal approvals under Western Australian legislation.
Early and respectful engagement is essential. Location teams should allow adequate time for consultation processes, ensure the correct Traditional Owner groups or representative bodies are identified and engaged, and follow any guidance provided regarding access conditions, activity restrictions, or culturally sensitive areas.
Understanding when First Nations consultation is required — and who to engage with — is a fundamental responsibility of Location Professionals working in Western Australia, particularly on projects involving regional, remote, environmental, or high-impact locations.
SCREENWEST
Screenwest is Western Australia’s state screen agency, supporting Location Professionals and productions with guidance on permits, approvals pathways, and public agency processes across the state. Screenwest works closely with Location Professionals from early enquiry through to delivery, assisting with complex approvals, council and state agency liaison, regional filming considerations, and access to industry resources. The agency plays a key role in supporting productions to navigate filming requirements efficiently and compliantly, particularly for regional, remote, and high-impact projects.
Phone: +61 8 6169 2100
Office Address: Postal Address:
30 Fielder Street PO Box 3275
East Perth WA 6004 East Perth WA 6892
Australia Australia
MAIN CONTACT: Melissa Hayward (Gabrielle Cole on Maternity Leave from 20/1/26)
melissa.hayward@screenwest.com.au | gabrielle.cole@screenwest.com.au
Melissa Hayward | Production Attraction & Industry Dev Executive
T: + 61 8 6169 2100 M: +61 TBA
WESTERN AUSTRALIA Resources
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Screen Australia
Screen Australia is the Australian Government’s national screen agency, supporting the development, production, promotion and distribution of Australian screen content across film, television, documentary, online and interactive platforms. They provide funding, industry research, market intelligence and administer key federal programs including the Producer Offset and Official Co-production Program, helping productions navigate national frameworks and build sustainable screen businesses.
Email: enquiries@screenaustralia.gov.au
Phone: +61 2 8113 5800
Address:
Level 7, 45 Murray Street
Pyrmont NSW 2009
Screen Australia’s Upcoming Productions listings and industry data are widely used as a national reference point, although listings are curated and may not reflect early-stage or confidential productions.
NATIONAL Resources
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