While the Australian public will have to wait to discover the outcomes of reality TV show Australian Survivor, the Charters Towers community has been reaping the benefits of hosting the filming of the latest series.
Endemol Shine Australia completed filming of season 7 in the region before Christmas, and council mayor Frank Beveridge said they had hosted up to 350 extra people for seven months.
"The hugely popular reality TV show was deeply embedded in our community over the last few months, building sets, setting up production offices and basecamp, and filming at various locations," he said. "We feel very fortunate to have been able to facilitate the production of this season of Australian Survivor, demonstrating that we are a film-friendly location."
So greatly did crew members immerse themselves in all aspects of Charters Towers that some bought houses in town while others sought out business opportunities.
Cr Beveridge said it was estimated that over $5m had been spent in the region during the production, combined with individual crew members injected between $1m and $2m into the local economy.
A total of 101 Charters Towers locals took the opportunity to work on the production.
Cr Beveridge said from the initial meetings and discussions to seeing the project come to fruition has been a most rewarding journey.
"Everyone in our community has made this production experience a positive one. We expect the benefits of this production will be felt for a very long time," he said.
"I am proud that as a council we were able to take an innovative approach to challenges that were presented to us, enabling this production to be filmed here.
"Our unique natural landscapes will be in the global spotlight, and we are proud to have had this incredible opportunity to showcase our region, affectionately known as 'the world'."
He hoped that, with more productions being made in Australia, more film and television investments would be attracted to the region as a result of the exposure.
It is anticipated that Australian Survivor season 7 will be broadcast on the Channel 10 network in February 2022.
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