why filmed in AUSTRALIA?

@tjopre6 http://articles.mcall.com/2000-04-23/entertainment/3310822_1_joe-besser-curly-joe-three-stooges/2

There were several reasons for shooting the telefilm in Australia, but the main ones are simple economics and fresh locations. "With the Australian dollar depressed at the moment, you get more bang for the (American ) buck," [Mel Gibson] explains. "And surrounding the sound stages in Sydney, there are several areas that lend themselves very well to another era (particularly the '30s and '40s ). A timeless place with lots of texture, it's a location you've never seen before."