Streaming
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Australia may have to wait longer for streaming platforms to produce local content, as new rules requiring them to do so have been delayed indefinitely, with no clear timeline for when work on the policy will resume.

The government had initially expected to implement the new rules by July 1, 2024; however, industry stakeholders now expect the policy to be introduced possibly by late next year, likely after the next federal election, according to ABC News.

The rules were central to the federal government's plans to rejuvenate the local arts sector, a move aimed at supporting the industry's recovery after the pandemic. The proposal was released nearly two years ago.

The new rules would have, reportedly, required streaming giants, including Netflix, Amazon and Paramount to invest in producing local content. Earlier this year, the government consulted with streaming platforms and advocates for local creative industries to explore various models in an effort to implement the new rules.

Arts Minister Tony Burke told Labor's caucus on Tuesday the government's plan to introduce local content requirements could be at odds with the terms of the existing free trade agreement between Australia and the U.S., blocking the setting up of new rules. Plus, the U.S. election had made it more challenging now to address the issue, he added.

Australian screen producers, meanwhile, said they were "anxiously" awaiting the results of the U.S. presidential election, hoping it will resolve the current stalemate in the negotiations over streaming regulations, The New Daily reported.

Screen Producers Association CEO Matthew Deaner claimed there was "little doubt" that the predominantly U.S.-based streaming companies had been "weaponizing" the AUSFTA (Australia-US Free Trade Agreement) as a tool to put off the introduction of the promised regulations this year.

During a Senate Estimates Committee discussion this week, Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young stated that the government's legislation had been "put on ice."

"I would really like a clear response as to whether you have information or evidence in relation to the impact of the free trade agreement with the US in relation to this piece of legislation or the model that we use you," she asked Labor Senator Jenny McAllister. "Is there any truth in the rumor that this legislation has been put on ice because of the US election?"

While admitting that the delays were unfortunate, a spokesperson for the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts stressed the government was engaged in ongoing discussions about the policy.

"The government is undertaking a genuine consultation process and is taking the time to consider views about the best way to support ongoing investment in, and production of, Australian stories," he said. "Consultation is taking longer than we would have liked, but we are determined to get this right."

Discussions about the policy's impact on Australia's free trade agreement with the U.S. have been continuing for over a decade, even before streaming platforms launched in 2014. The local content quota is set at 20%.