Member for Gellibrand Tim Watts has vowed to meet with SBS producers over fears Sunshine will be the focus of its “poverty porn” program Struggle Street.
Watts said a report earlier this week, which highlighted that Sunshine might be featured following test-filming of people from Sunshine, had made residents anxious.
“A number of people have already told me that they are anxious that the show will perpetuate unfair and inaccurate stereotypes of Sunshine,” he said.
“The Sunshine community that I know certainly faces its share of disadvantage, but it’s also at the heart of Australia’s fastest growing region and is attracting substantial investment and development.
“It’s a community that’s the first stop for many new arrivals to Australia and is proud of its thriving multicultural diversity. It’s a community that’s on the way up.
“I’ll be meeting with SBS in the near future to make clear that I don’t want our community to be treated as a setting for ‘poverty porn’ and that any coverage of Sunshine should talk about the growth and opportunities in the area as well as the challenges.”
Star Weekly has sought comment from SBS.
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