Stealth Film Producers Shut Out of Blue Mountains Park

SYDNEY, Australia, May 3, 2004 (ENS) - Environmental protesters have succeeded in shutting down production of the Hollywood action film "Steath" in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales. The final scene shoot out was approved by the state for the Grose Wilderness in Blue Mountains National Park.

The Blue Mountains Conservation Society challenged the state's approval of the $130 million film in the NSW Land and Environment Court, saying local residents are concerned about the abuse and misuse of the Grose Wilderness, the Blue Mountains National Park and the World Heritage Area. The conservationists argued that the filming was inconsistent with the purposes and objectives of a wilderness area.

Justice David Lloyd agreed and Thursday set aside the state's approval of the film project, ruling that declared wilderness areas were "sacrosanct." He issued a restraining order against Environment Minister Bob Debus, who also serves as director-general of the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS), from granting any further licenses to film in the area.

The Grose Wilderness in the Blue Mountains National Park (Photo courtesy National Parks and Wildlife Service)

Premier Bob Carr, who has been trying to build the reputation of New South Wales as a good place to make films, was disappointed in the campaign. Calling it "a very selfish campaign, and a badly informed campaign," on Sydney radio 2UE, the premier said the National Parks and Wildlife Service had placed restrictions on the company to prevent environmental damage.

In 78 days of shooting, the company would spend $130 million – a sum of money invaluable to the state, the premier said.

But the Blue Mountains Conservation Society got 50 demonstrators out to blockade a road in the Blue Mountains last Monday and 150 protesters on Tuesday to stop crew members from getting to the film's chosen location. Police arrested eight people Tuesday and escorted the crew to the site.

In a letter to Environment Minister Debus, the Blue Mountains Conservation Society said it objects to filming for "Stealth" in the Grose Wilderness, Blue Mountains National Park and World Heritage Area near Mt Hay on the following grounds because,"The subject matter of the 'Stealth' adventure film is not related to wilderness protection and management and so is not consistent with the NPWS Filming and Photography Policy."

"Images of a nuclear bomber hanging over the Blue Mountains World Heritage area would be ugly, disgusting and hugely inappropriate," the group wrote.

Labor Premier Bob Carr represents the metropolitan, residential suburban and semi-industrial district of Maroubra in southeastern Sydney. (Photo courtesy Office of the Premier)

"The skeletal soils are likely to erode and the area is just starting to recover from the 2002 bushfire," the group said.

In a March 24 letter to Helen Mulligan of the state Department of Environment and Conservation, the society explained its objections in detail. "Any proposal that includes off-track activities (including proposed repeated rock scrambling and swamp access) is totally untenable in these sensitive montane heath and Blue Mountains swamp areas.

"The swamp communities are extremely fragile and any usage of the existing track through the swamp for the scale of activity proposed would require establishment of a considerable length of raised boardwalk that will inevitably create additional collateral damage. The use of the untracked portion of the swamp for filming which will involve multiple takes of a number of people smashing their way through the swamp, will not only cause immediate damage to the habitat but create a totally new access track."

"The area includes the endangered Giant Dragonfly (Petalura gigantea) and the rare pink flannel flower (Actinotus forsythii) and probably contains some other threatened and endangered species - the field survey was inadequate. The swamp area is particularly fragile," the group explained in a note to its members.

In the letter to Debus the group said the Blue Mountains Plan of Management 2001 "prevents the establishment of the proposed temporary structures such as the 36 square metre helicopter landing pad, board walk decking, 46 square metre 'spydercam' deck, 34 square metre 'spydercam' deck, 11 square metre camera deck, camera tripod on Butterbox Point and use of vehicles such as the proposed helicopter."

The conservationists warned that allowing the filming would set "a precedent for future inappropriate filming in our national parks, wilderness areas and World Heritage Areas," and said the government "should avoid setting such a bad precedent."

A film crew from Columbia Pictures aboard USS Carl Vinson film the launch of an F/A-18C Hornet assigned to the Blue Diamonds of Strike Fighter Squadron One Four Six. The captured footage will be used for the upcoming production of the motion picture "Stealth." Pacific Ocean January 29, 2004. (Photo by Photographer's Mate 3rd Class Dustin Howell U.S. Navy)

Produced by Laura Ziskin and Mike Medavoy, and directed by Rob Cohen, "Stealth" stars Josh Lucas, Jessica Biel, Jamie Foxx, Joe Morton, and Richard Roxburgh. Distributed by Columbia Pictures, it is scheduled for summer 2005 release.

“The final scene shoot out for the Stealth adventure film proposed in the Grose Wilderness of the Blue Mountains World Heritage Area is an attack on wilderness and the birthplace of the NSW nature conservation movement," said Keith Muir director of the Colong Foundation for Wilderness.

Muir said the "Stealth" film proposal was a test case for the new Regulatory Division of the Department of Environment and Conservation. Controversial proposals in national parks are no longer considered by the Parks and Wildlife Service. The Department of Environment and Conservation weighed in on the side of the film.

"Wilderness areas should not to be treated like a plywood film sets to be knocked around,” Muir said. He said conservationists would be happy to help the producers find another location to shoot the film's final scenes.