AWGACS was established in 1996 as the copyright collecting society for screenwriters from Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. Distribution notice for members Distribution has commenced, and the member portal is open. The distribution for 2024-25 income has begun. If you have royalties to collect, you will have received an email or letter in the post from us. Important notice regarding the timing of distribution payments. We will endeavour to make your payment as soon as possible. The office will be closed between 23 December - 4 January , which means your royalty payment may be made in the new year. AWGACS is currently receiving a high volume of emails. We will endeavour to get back to you ASAP. Please continue to email AWGACS any issues or questions relating to distribution or the member portal. WHAT IS AWGACS? AWGACS was established in 1996 as the copyright collecting society for screen authors from Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand. Since then, we have collected over $33 million dollars for members and authors from around the world. Join now to protect your right to secondary royalties - it's free! Join AWGACS Now Unable to contact list NEWS Australian creative workers welcome passing of Australian Content Requirements Bill for streamers Australia’s screen creatives have today welcomed the passing of the Communications Legislation Amendment (Australian Content Requirement for Subscription Video On Demand (Streaming) Services) Bill 2025 through Parliament. The legislation means streaming services are now included in the requirement to make a certain level of Australian content, via spending a percentage of their expenditure on new local drama, children’s, and documentary programs. Australian Writers’ Guild ( Nov 27 Australian Writers’ Guild welcomes announcement of screen content requirements for streaming services The AWG has welcomed Arts Minister Tony Burke’s announcement that new screen content requirements for streaming services will require major streaming services to make new Australian content. “Amid global uncertainty, the government has said it wants to ensure a future for Australian content,” said AWG CEO Claire Pullen . "Our members work in a volatile market where streaming platforms wield enormous power. There is a growing disparity between broadcast and streaming in terms Nov 5 More Posts

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING (AGM) Relevant documents for the 2025 Annual General Meeting can be found below. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the 2025 AGM, please contact awgacs@awg.com.au 2025 AWGACS Financial Statements

CONTACT AWGACS To contact AWGACS: Level 4, 70 Pitt Street, Sydney NSW Australia 2000 (02) 9319 0339 awgacs@awg.com.au AWGACS operates Monday to Friday from 9am-5pm. To contact the Australian Writers’ Guild (AWG): Level 4, 70 Pitt Street, Sydney NSW Australia 2000 (02) 9319 0339 admin@awg.com.au AWG operates Monday to Friday from 9am-5pm. To contact the New Zealand Writers’ Guild (NZWG): Click Studios - 525 Rosebank Road, Avondale, Auckland, 1026 PO Box 47886, Ponsonby, Auckland 1144 guildhq@nzwg.org.nz (09) 360 1408

Australia’s screen creatives have today welcomed the passing of the  Communications Legislation Amendment (Australian Content Requirement for Subscription Video On Demand (Streaming) Services) Bill 2025  through Parliament. The legislation means streaming services are now included in the requirement to make a certain level of Australian content, via spending a percentage of their expenditure on new local drama, children’s, and documentary programs. Australian Writers’ Guild ( AWG ) and Australian Writers’ Guild Authorship Collecting Society ( AWGACS ) CEO  Claire Pullen  said, “This is a watershed moment for Australia’s screen industry. This will give our members and the entire creative community more certainty around their careers, and the industry here at home.” “Securing local content quotas is a significant step forward in levelling the playing field for streamers and broadcasters, and it acts as a strong reminder of what we’ve been continually told – that Australians want to see more Aussie content on their screens,” said Pullen. “We congratulate the Albanese Government, Arts Minister Tony Burke, Communications Minister Anika Wells and the many members of Parliament who’ve supported the campaign over the years on this achievement.” The Australian Writers’ Guild has worked alongside fellow screen industry guilds and members of the Make It Australian campaign for local content requirements for streaming video on demand services (SVODs) since September 2017. AWG President and Logie Award-winning showrunner  Peter Mattessi  said, “This has been a long and hard-fought campaign, and we thank the many writer members, our fellow creatives and industry leaders who’ve given of their time and expertise to advocate for our industry and for Australian stories over the last eight years.” “This legislation is the first step in building a stronger, more robust Australian screen industry. There’s more to do, but this is an exciting moment, and an opportunity to position Australian stories at the centre of national and international conversations,” said Mattessi. “As we head into 2026 and planning for a new National Cultural Policy, we are pleased to have this vital piece of Revive marked off the list so we can continue what we do best – telling great Australian stories.” AWGACS President  Sam Meikle  said, “The fight to preserve the vital place for Australian stories on Australian screens has been won. This is the first step in seeing more Australian stories, and guaranteeing career pathways for Australian screen workers – roundly known to be among the best in the world. We make great television. Now the world will get to see more of it, and Australian writers are ready to lead the charge.”

The AWG has welcomed Arts Minister Tony Burke’s announcement that new screen content requirements for streaming services will require major streaming services to make new Australian content. “Amid global uncertainty, the government has said it wants to ensure a future for Australian content,” said AWG CEO Claire Pullen . "Our members work in a volatile market where streaming platforms wield enormous power. There is a growing disparity between broadcast and streaming in terms of how they give back to the community and our local industry, even as streaming comes to dominate how we watch shows and films." AWG President and Logie Award-winning showrunner Peter Mattessi said, "World events move fast and impact our industry in many different ways. Meanwhile, streaming platforms are taking billions of dollars out of the country in subscription fees from Australians – Australians who tell us over and over again that they want to see more Australian content on their screens." "It has been a long road to get to this point and after lengthy conversations with Government, we are pleased to see our input incorporated into this model, and to see our nation once again require those who deliver screen content to invest in the importance of Australian storytellers telling Australian stories." Read the full statement HERE . What will screen content requirements for streaming services look like? The Government has stated that: "legislation to be introduced in Parliament will mandate streaming services with more than one million Australian subscribers will need to invest at least 10 per cent of their total expenditure for Australia – or 7.5 per cent of their revenue – on new local drama, children’s, documentary, arts and educational programs". Read the full announcement HERE .

In opening remarks to a Senate inquiry on Tuesday, Australian Writers’ Guild ( AWG ) and Australian Writers’ Guild Authorship Collecting Society ( AWGACS ) CEO Claire Pullen joined other creative leaders and Senators in criticising the Productivity Commission for failing to model the economic contribution of creative industries. Australia’s creative workers raised questions over the Productivity Commission’s Interim Report, including whether the Commission is fit to publish recommendations that include dismantling existing copyright protections when it has not undertaken detailed analysis of the copyright issues at play. Appearing before the Inquiry into the National Cultural Report, the Productivity Commission was  lambasted  by senators as turning their backs on Australia’s creative industries. Pressed on the impact a Text and Data Mining (TDM) exception might have on the creative economy, which brings in upwards of $90 billion or 2% of Australia’s GDP, the Commission admitted that no modelling was undertaken prior to the Interim Report being published. In her opening remarks to the Committee, Pullen pointed out the Guild had done more modelling than the Productivity Commission. “It is staggering that the Productivity Commission could dedicate so much of their time to pushing the unfounded benefits of AI and a TDM exception without a shred of evidence to back up its claims,” says Pullen. “How are we as creative industries or the Government, tasked with regulating AI, meant to respond to anything in the Interim Report when the basic question of how our industries will be impacted was not even considered?” says Pullen. In response to the lack of modelling provided by the Commission, the Australian Writers’ Guild commissioned modelling of their own, estimating that AI could see over $1.7 billion in lost wages and 2000 creative jobs slashed by 2035. Australian writers currently set in motion over $1 billion in economic activity. “We are deeply disappointed that the Productivity Commission appears not to take seriously the economic contribution of the creative industries to our economy,” says Pullen. As expressed in their submission, the AWG and AWGACS maintain that the starting position on AI has to be that tech companies are asked how they will rectify the copyright theft and moral rights infringements that have already taken place. “The Productivity Commission should be examining the cost to our economy of failing to enforce Australian law as creative jobs are destroyed,” says Pullen.