Filming & Photography

The Barwon River through Geelong is a film-friendly location while balancing amenity for community and river users.

The information on this page relates to commercial filming, including television, feature films, advertising and television commercials, documentaries and music videos.

All commercial filming activities are required to apply for a permit for the use of a public space.  This ensures the activity is in accordance with the regulations of Corangamite Catchment Management Authority.

Filming and permits

Some commercial filming activities trigger the need to apply for a permit for the use of a public space. This ensures the activity is in accordance with our regulations. We endeavor to keep red tape to a minimum and encourage you to speak to a member of the Water Infrastructure team in the first instance.

We will be your point of contact and assist you to identify any other permission/permits required from other land managers and/or statutory authorities. Applications, if required, should be lodged at the earliest opportunity. We will respond to your application within five business days of receiving it.

Please note that if there are complex arrangements for your filming activity, it may take us more than five days to issue a permit.

Do you need a permit? – Low impact filming

Most people conducting commercial filming must apply for a permit to use public space. However, if your filming activities are minor and ‘low impact’ (refer to criteria below), you won’t need to fill out the application for a permit — but you will still need to obtain our permission for low impact filming by contacting us.

To approve a low impact filming activity, we will require a copy of your current public liability insurance, the date(s), risk assessment and details of your filming, with a minimum of two weeks’ notice.

Low impact filming activities are defined by these criteria:

• a filming activity of six people or less (includes all production crew and talent);
• no more than one camera, one tripod, and handheld sound recording equipment;
• public safety is maintained at all times and all public pathways, footpaths and roads must not be blocked;
• no exclusive use of public space; and
• filming content and messaging do not undermine Corangamite CMA’s core values and the sustainability of our destination.