THE controversial SBS program Struggle Street appears to have found a new suburb to shine a light on.

News Corp understands that the documentary has been test-filming people from Sunshine, in Melbourne’s west, to potentially include them in the next series.

Earlier this year, the first series of the show — which followed the lives of people in Mount Druitt, in Sydney’s west — was met with criticism by some people, who accused the broadcaster of misrepresenting their community.

Blacktown Mayor Stephen Bali said he was “appalled” after being shown the first episode, which he labelled “publicly funded poverty porn”.

When approached SBS to confirm whether it was filming a second series of Struggle Street in Sunshine, spokeswoman Emma Losco said no potential locations could be confirmed.

She said producers were talking with groups, leaders and community members across several Australian suburbs.

But the Brimbank Leader understands that at least two Sunshine people have been test-filmed by a production company making the program.

The Brimbank Council administrators’ chairman John Watson said although he had not seen Struggle Street’s first series, he hoped the program would portray Sunshine in a positive light.

“If it’s a genuine attempt to portray the real community and not focus on the negatives — to tell the true story and show the positives too, not just the few negatives to get the headlines — then come to Sunshine,” Mr Watson said.

“I love Sunshine, there are far more positives than negatives.

“The community itself and the people, the sheer diversity we have here — there are lots of people doing things in their own way to help the community.”

Sunshine and District Historical Society curator Alan Dash said he did not believe Sunshine deserved a negative reputation.

“It certainly was a working class area with many families from lower socio-economic backgrounds and very multicultural,” he said.

“It’s something to be proud of — that’s our heritage.”

Western suburbs youth worker Les Twentyman said the region was different to Mount Druitt, where he had previously worked.

He said councils in Melbourne’s west and organisations like his 20th Man Fund provided many programs for disadvantaged youth, like basketball programs, free textbooks and weekend school catch-up sessions.