Sussan Ley (Farrer, Liberal Party, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) Share this | Hansard source

In the interests of brevity and time, I make the point that there were no measures relating to Telstra in the budget. However, I am happy to respond to the points raised by the member for Cunningham. I am sure the member for Cunningham knows that the supply, installation and maintenance of payphones is enshrined in the government’s universal service obligation, the USO. So all Australians should have access to a payphone regardless of where they live. The government is committed to ensuring that Telstra continues to meet its obligations under that USO. To ensure that communities clearly understand their rights, the government will require Telstra to amend its standard marketing plan to give a clear description of what constitutes having reasonable access to a payphone and include a description of what constitutes a USO payphone. Telstra will be required to more clearly identify which payphones in a community are provided under the USO and to ensure that there are robust consultation processes where a non-USO payphone is to be removed or relocated.

I am sure you are aware that the minister has required Telstra to enhance its consultation processes for the removal of payphones by including on its removal notice the reasons and details of how a person can object to the removal. The removal notice will include a reference to the Australian Communications and Media Authority’s role as the regulator of Telstra’s payphone obligations. It is important that people realise it is not just Telstra they are dealing with but also ACMA. Telstra will also engage with its Low Income Measures Assessment Committee and advise them of the new arrangements for payphone consultation processes and complaint mechanisms.

I would see this committee as another check and balance on the operations in this area. The member for Cunningham mentioned that she has raised these issues with the minister. I am sure the minister is taking them very seriously. I am sure she understands and appreciates the needs of students, the fact that they do not all have mobile phones and that they are sometimes alone on campus late at night. I am sure the minister will respond in due course in a satisfactory fashion.

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