Kiama council forces movie giant to fix wrecked Yellow Rock Road

Heavy vehicles bringing equipment in and out of a private property, where the production is taking place, have damaged the already deteriorating road and has upset some residents.

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"The neighbours are so angry as the road is trashed," said one man who wished not to be named.

Both Shellharbour and Kiama Councils are monitoring the damage to the road, with a spokeswoman for the latter council stating those responsible would be forced to fix it.

"We are working with the filming company to monitor the situation and they have agreed to repair the damage to the culvert and the road on the sections within Kiama LGA," the spokeswoman said.

"On the bases of a recent inspection [by civil engineers] ... Kiama Council issued the film company with a direction under Sections 101 and 102 of the Roads Act.

"This requires the applicant to temporarily repair the road while they are using it, and at the expiry of the permit, to fully repair the road to [the] council's satisfaction, which includes the replacement of the culvert."

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As of Monday, some sections of the road had been filled in with gravel. The Mercury did witness a truck that had to turn back because they were unable to navigate the broken bitumen.

While the production is being shot on private property, both councils have allowed the film company use of traffic control on the public road to safely manage the entry and exit of vehicles from their site.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes is Disney's latest venture and set to pick up many years after the conclusion of 2017's War for the Planet of the Apes, as is scheduled to hit cinemas in 2024.

Directed by Wes Ball, the blockbuster has received $17 million in support from the Australian government, as well as funding through Screen NSW.

In October, Disney crews were found filming scenes at the Helensburgh glow-worm tunnels, while it's understood the construction seen from Yellow Rock Road is for a multimillion-dollar set and accommodation for cast and crew.

Locations around the Illawarra are becoming increasingly sought after, with local experts putting the popularity down to proximity to Sydney, cost effectiveness and variety of backdrops.

"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," Kingston Anderson (for Screen Illawarra) previously told the Mercury.

Filming on private property doesn't require a council's approval but those wanting to use public land do. Shellharbour Council have so far issued 10 filming permits between July and December this year (with more awaiting approval), while Kiama usually approves one to two applications each month with more in summer.

"[Approvals are] likely to increase over the spring/summer period," the spokeswoman said.

"On average, we have issued around 40 film permits per year since 2017."

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