Sharman Stone (Murray, Liberal Party, Minister for Workforce Participation) Share this | Hansard source

I, like the member for Kingsford Smith and the minister, agree most profoundly that the community broadcasting area in Australia is of critical importance, particularly to rural and regional Australia. So many young radio journalists began their lives in community radio. Indeed, a lot of our Work for the Dole projects are taking place in community radio stations, giving people a real opportunity to grow their self-esteem and find work in a very challenging area.

Our minister was successful in renewing the budget’s targeted funding of $7.2 million for the Community Broadcasting Foundation over four years from 2006-07. This is targeted funding for ethnic community broadcasting, information technology initiatives and satellite services, which were first provided in 1996-97 and were renewed in 2002-03. The funding will be used to develop ethnic community broadcasting. In particular, it will support ethnic youth programs, new language groups and new and emerging communities. The honourable member is particularly concerned about the Amrap program; I will need to take that on notice. I cannot give him specific details about that program but let me say that we understand that the community broadcasting sector is unique. It is probably unique to Australia in the way that it has grown. We want to retain its diversity and its independence. We are highly committed to it and, more than any previous government, we have committed funding to this sector. We have demonstrated as a government our commitment to a healthy and vibrant community broadcasting sector. Over the last 10 years we have tried to make the sector much more sustainable. We will certainly give the honourable member more information about that particular program.

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