Steven Ciobo (Moncrieff, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I say to the minister at the table that others have raised these concerns. On that basis, clarification around what is a trigger event and the way in which a trigger event would maintain existing levels for a period of 24 months provides clarity and certainty to the industry, which I think is a positive thing.

Again, notwithstanding that this is not particularly germane to the Gold Coast, concerns have been raised by commercial radio licence holders with me about the impact of trigger events. This would have particular relevance in my city because of the fact that the radio market on the Gold Coast, being as strongly serviced as it is for the reasons I outlined earlier, has wafer-thin margins. That is also a consequence of the economic downturn that my city is experiencing. There is no doubt that the decline in tourism and construction activity across the Gold Coast means that the local radio licence holders are finding it particularly difficult to maintain a profitable business. They are finding it particularly difficult to attract new investment in radio advertising at a time when so many businesses are being forced to tighten their belts, reduce their budgets and limit the amount of marketing that they undertake.

In that context, it is obvious that, were a trigger event to occur which required a radio station to have a higher level of staffing than it otherwise would have under a new owner—which could in fact be all the difference in whether that particular radio station was profitable or not—the certainty that it is afforded by this bill is a positive step forward. That is why the coalition is very pleased to support the bill together with the government. The coalition is also pleased that the minister was willing to listen to the points that were made by coalition members and to remove from the bill certain items that dealt with the interaction between the US-Australia Free Trade Agreement and the specific operation of the bill.

Having covered all of that territory, this bill is a step in the right direction. It builds upon the Productivity Commission's finding that there was a high compliance cost associated with local content requirements and dealing with the legislation. In my view, any reduction in compliance requirements—any reduction in red tape—is generally a good thing, and I am pleased that the bill addresses that. In addition, I take this opportunity to congratulate the licence holders and the staff and stakeholders associated with the Gold Coast regional radio market. It is a vibrant market that is well serviced by people with a strong connection to the Gold Coast who understand the significance of local content for the Gold Coast. I am pleased that my listeners, meaning my constituents, have the chance to be so well serviced by such a vibrant market, and I look forward to continuing in the future, ideally at a lower cost as a consequence of the operation of this bill and the support of the coalition.

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