Planet of the Apes filming around the Illawarra including near Albion Park

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes has begun filming with scenes shot at the Helensburgh glow-worm tunnels this week, while it's understood work is underway to build a multimillion-dollar set for more extensive filming near Albion Park.

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Kingston Anderson is currently in the midst of conducting a feasibility study for Screen Illawarra and said the production by Disney Studios Australia (formerly Fox Studios) would spend several months in the region.

"This is probably the largest feature film to be shot in Australia and the fact that it is spending time in the Illawarra is great for the local economy," Anderson said.

"It will utilise services and hire locals to service the production. It is based [in Sydney] ... and will be spending several weeks at various locations in the region."

The science-fiction action film is pitched as bringing an "all-new chapter" to the Planet of the Apes franchise, and set to pick up many years after the conclusion of 2017's War for the Planet of the Apes.

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It's directed by Wes Ball (The Maze Runner trilogy) and stars Owen Teague, Freya Allan, Peter Macon, Eka Darville and Kevin Durand

The Mercury understands location scouts felt the large boulders and rocky cliffs of the escarpment around Yellow Rock, south-west of Albion Park, were ideal for the production with temporary accommodation and a large-scale set currently being constructed there.

Suburban streets around Helensburgh's historic train tunnel were blocked off for filming on Monday, with heavy security stopping civilians keen for a sticky beak.

A spokeswoman for Wollongong City Council confirmed they were supporting the production.

"By facilitating purposeful access to parts of our city for film production we're able to support the growth of Wollongong as a destination for film makers, which has potential benefit both the local creative industry and the economy," the spokeswoman told the Mercury.

"As part of this application we made a small number of on-street parking spaces available to a production company as well as providing exclusive access to some of the sporting field carparks at Rex Jackson Oval."

Anderson said locations available to the film company were "perfect" for the movie.

"The closeness to Sydney and the resources and services in the region make it perfect for away filming for shows of this size," he said.

The entire production is estimated to create more than 400 jobs and inject more than $128 million into the Australian economy, while the production would receive $17 million in support from both the Federal and NSW Governments.

For the feasibility study, Anderson will be using a range of movies film in the Illawarra along with the last five years of permits local councils have issued (Wollongong, Shellharbour, Kiama).

He will also collect data from Screen NSW, Screen Australia and the Australian Bureau of Statistics to provide a "snapshot of the region". The study will be used to help bolster the growing screen industry in the region.

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