Paul Fletcher (Bradfield, Liberal Party, Minister for Urban Infrastructure and Cities) Share this | Hansard source

I present the explanatory memorandum to this bill and I move:

That this bill be now read a second time.

In October last year, the parliament passed a landmark package of reforms that will modernise broadcasting and content regulation and improve the sustainability of Australia's media industry. A number of additional measures were developed as part of that process and this bill—the Communications Legislation Amendment (Regional and Small Publishers Innovation Fund) Bill 2017—establishes the legislative framework for one of those measures.

The Regional and Small Publishers Innovation Fund will assist regional and small publishers to transition, compete and innovate more successfully in a changing media environment. These news providers are operating under acute and sustained pressure. The business models that have traditionally supported journalism, particularly those funded by advertising revenue, are being challenged, and the need to adapt successful subscriber and other revenue models is proving especially demanding for smaller publications.

The bill will amend the Broadcasting Services Act 1992 to establish the legislative framework for the Regional and Small Publishers Innovation Fund. The fund will provide $16.7 million in grants each year from 2018-19 to 2020-21, via a competitive application process, to assist small and regional publishers adapt to the challenges of providing quality news content in a digital media environment.

The bill establishes the legislative authority for the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) to administer the fund. It will require the ACMA to enter into an agreement with each funding recipient, specifying the terms and conditions of the grant, before making any payments, and will require the recipient to spend the funding on activities that relate to the newspaper, magazine or periodical or online content service.

The bill will also allow the Minister for Communications to establish a committee to provide advice to the ACMA in its administration of the innovation fund, including its assessment of applications for grants. It is expected that the committee will comprise members who have significant experience with news, journalism and other media-related content and will include, as a minimum, a representative from each of the Australian Press Council, the Walkley Foundation and Country Press Australia. The ACMA will be required to have regard to any advice provided by the committee in exercising its powers under the fund, although this will not limit the matters to which the ACMA may have regard.

The bill will require the ACMA to include in its annual report the details of the name of each recipient of one or more grants of financial assistance, the total amount of those grants, and any advice given during the financial year to the ACMA by the committee. This will ensure full transparency in relation to the oversight of the fund and the decisions made by the ACMA to provide grants to publishers.

This bill delivers a modern and flexible framework, vital for ensuring that the arrangements agreed to last year are put into place. The innovation fund complements the core components of the government's broadcasting and content reform package by fostering an adaptable and sustainable Australian media industry. Journalism that investigates and explains public policy and issues of public significance is critical for our democracy. But its provision is under challenge by a changing media environment. The innovation fund will assist Australian publishers, particularly smaller publishers and those operating in regional areas, to transition their businesses to the new operating environment, and continue to provide news content that informs and engages Australians across the country.

I commend the bill to the chamber.

Leave granted for second reading debate to continue immediately.

See this speech in context