Two popular Australian TV series, Aussie Gold Hunters and Outback Opal Hunters, have received millions of dollars in government funding set aside for documentaries, but insiders claim much of the on-screen drama is scripted, according to a Guardian Australia investigation.
Funding and Allegations
The shows, distributed by Warner Bros Discovery, have attracted an audience of 40 million viewers across 140 countries. However, documents and interviews raise questions about whether they qualify as documentaries under the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) definition, which requires subject matter grounded in fact.
Electric Pictures, producer of Aussie Gold Hunters, received more than $4.7 million from Screenwest between 2015 and 2022, with $4.1 million directly for the series. Prospero Pictures, producer of Outback Opal Hunters, received over $850,000 since 2018. Both shows also access Screen Australia tax offsets, which can provide a 30% rebate on eligible spending.
Staged Scenes and Scripted Drama
Internal documents from Outback Opal Hunters reveal production notes calling for manufactured drama. For one episode, notes asked: “Can we produce up a rock fall on digger roof to demonstrate dangers of this project? Ramp up the drama/chaos into a cliffhanger?” The script was finalized the day before filming.
In Aussie Gold Hunters, a scene featuring a poacher was actually a producer, Michael Dye, who told ABC’s Media Watch it was a “recreation” because no one else was available. A former employee described using high-pressure hoses to fake a rainstorm, saying: “I said, ‘Oh, that’s so amazing, they find the gold just before the wet starts.’ And then someone said, ‘That’s a hose, mate.’”
Industry Concerns
An anonymous group of WA film industry insiders has demanded an investigation, arguing the shows resemble reality TV like Married at First Sight, which is ineligible for documentary funding. One source said: “It doesn’t pass the pub test. The amount of money going to these companies to make work that isn’t factual is hollowing out our industry.”
Between 2015 and 2022, 32% of all documentary-eligible production funding in WA went to Electric Pictures and Prospero Productions, with the two series alone accounting for 16%.
Responses from Producers and Funding Bodies
Electric Pictures CEO Andrew Ogilvie stated: “These funding agencies have clear eligibility criteria which they rigorously assess, and Aussie Gold Hunters has been found to comply.” Prospero Productions’ managing director Julia Redwood said stories are “authentic” and episode outlines are for logistics, adding that “story recreations can occur if anecdotes happen when our cameras are not in the field.”
Screenwest told the Guardian it believes both shows satisfy ACMA’s documentary definition. Screen Australia said it is bound by tax law to keep rebates confidential but reviews all applications.
A former cast member of Aussie Gold Hunters said: “When things get stolen in the camp, it’s always a set-up. When people’s cars break down, it’s all made up. It’s all a set-up.”
