Documentary Australia supports Australian content legislation for streaming services

On 6 November, the Government released the Communications Legislation Amendment (Australian Content Requirement for Subscription Video On Demand (Streaming) Services) Bill 2025 and explanatory memorandum, proposing streamers be required to invest at least 10 percent of their expenditure – or 7.5 percent of revenue – on new local drama, children’s, documentary, arts and educational programs.

Documentary Australia supports this long-awaited and important piece of legislation to ensure streaming services operating in Australia are subject to an Australian content requirement.

We have been involved with the Government’s formal consultation process and our own sector consultation over a number of years, and we recognise that this legislation may not address all screen sector concerns. However, we do view it as a crucial step forward.

It will ensure that more streaming services commission and acquire Australian content and that anyone entering the market in future is obliged to do so.

We welcome the Government’s inclusion of a statutory review, and hope that this will provide an opportunity to evaluate the impact of the legislation on documentary production.

We thank Ministers Burke and Wells for taking the time to consult with Documentary Australia and our sector, and hope that this legislation will make a measurable difference to the Australian stories being commissioned and made available to Australian audiences.

Thank you also to our amazing network of grassroots advocates who have taken this discussion to their local Member of Parliament. Pictured are screen practitioners in Kingsford-Smith, Mackellar and Bendigo.