Fiona Phillips (Gilmore, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I am glad to rise tonight in support of the Broadcasting Services Amendment (Community Radio) Bill 2022. This bill gives community radio stations greater clarity and certainty in applying for community broadcasting licences. It gives regional communities like ours on the New South Wales South Coast more local content and more local voices on our airwaves. Anyone who has ever listened to community radio will know what a fabulous job it does, often with volunteers and passionate people dedicated to sharing the stories of their community. Not only this; it is often an opportunity for local artists to practise their craft and reach new audiences.

Firstly, the government has worked across the sector to fix some of the barriers that were in place for new community radio stations to get off the ground. This bill will clarify that the renewal process for community radio licences is not a competitive process. So, when ACMA is considering a renewal application, it will only consider the current radio service and not a proposed new station. This gives certainty to existing licensees while preserving ACMA's ability to refuse to renew a licence if it is found that the current licensee is not providing a radio service that meets general community needs.

Secondly, the bill will allow licences to be allocated in advance, providing prospective stations with notice to prepare broadcasting infrastructure and content programming before the commencement date. This amendment will give prospective stations the time needed to plan and prepare so that they can start broadcasting with their best foot forward. The bill also improves the administrative efficiency and flexibility of the licence renewal process.

In my electorate, we are blessed with some truly fantastic community radio stations. Since 1984, there has been Triple U FM in the Shoalhaven, covering a stretch from Gerringong to Termeil and out to Kangaroo Valley and areas east of Robertson. The show broadcasts from the Shoalhaven Regional Gallery, so I regularly enjoy chats with Carol and Jane to discuss all things politics and community. I also chat with Chance and Bec when they're broadcasting their brekky show from Bomaderry but also when they're out and about in their HEV van. There's the Bay & Basin Community Radio, a program of the fabulous Bay & Basin Community Resources, which has been operating since 1991 with the aim of helping people thrive in their communities. I've always enjoyed a catch up with Marilyn, and even the Sanctuary Point Public School has a regular spot. In the southern part of my electorate there is 2EAR FM, Eurobodalla Access Radio. Disko Pete and I enjoy a regular chinwag about the news of the day and what's happening locally. 2EAR FM studios are based in sunny Moruya—as they say, 'Yes, we are broadcasting in paradise!'

The local community was absolutely devastated when during the 2019-20 bushfires 2EAR FM's main link antenna on Mount Wandera was destroyed by the bushfires on New Year's Eve. We all breathed a sigh of relief when transmission was back up and running in February 2020—just another reason why I'm so delighted that the Albanese government is fireproofing the Mount Wandera tower to try to avoid the loss of crucial services like this. During the bushfires community radio and all of our radio stations literally saved the lives of local people. They were there on the ground telling the stories of people who were experiencing the bushfires in real time and giving information about where the fire was, where to get help and what was happening. I want to thank each and every broadcaster, volunteer and community member who helped get us through that immensely difficult period. I have mentioned a few of the presenters across these stations, but there are so many more that it would be impossible to name them all. But your commitment to our community and your passion in delivering local voices, fun local content, music, entertainment and more is so incredibly valued.

That brings me to our newest community radio station in my electorate, Kiama Community Radio. Their story most recently really shows why this bill is needed and why it will make such a positive change to our community radio stations. Kiama Community Radio started in March 2020, at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. They wanted to make sure that the Kiama community was connected, so they began by producing community based podcasts while building their studio and training their live presenters, all while waiting for their community broadcasting licence. Their motto is: for the community, by the community.

I was pleased to provide them with a $4,601 volunteer grant earlier in the year to help them purchase some live-streaming equipment. I got to check out their studio and have a bit of fun with the presenters, just what it's all about. It's a labour of love by president David Toohey and others trying to build to a live broadcast service, but today Kiama Community Radio is still podcast based because they have been unable to obtain a community radio licence. After applying to ACMA for a community broadcast licence, David was told that they should instead look to 'piggyback' on the services of other community broadcasters outside the area. They were told to provide Kiama content to other community radio stations and ask them to broadcast it for them. But other broadcasters were unwilling to provide them with airtime and wouldn't alter their programming to include content based outside of their target area.

Kiama Community Radio is the first of its kind, dedicated to the community, from Gerroa in the south to Minnamurra in the north, Foxground, Jamberoo, Carrington Falls and the upper Kangaroo Valley. They work to give their community a voice, and when I met with them earlier this year their podcasts had been downloaded over 4,500 times. But they wanted to reach a larger audience and, for that, they need a community broadcasting licence. I hope that this bill will help to support Kiama Community Radio and others like it around the country in their efforts to obtain a community broadcasting licence. Clarifying that this is not a competitive process, providing certainty and clarity to those applying for licences and reducing the administrative burden will help to support volunteers and community broadcasters all over Australia.

The Albanese government is committed to supporting the long-term sustainability of the community broadcasting sector. We have provided an additional $4 million per year of ongoing funding for the Community Broadcasting Program, taking its annual funding to over $20 million a year. This bill is the next step in providing certainty for community broadcasters and ensuring that local listeners like those on the South Coast can hear their voices and their stories told by local people. Once again, I want to thank all of our local community radio providers, presenters, volunteers, listeners and everyone who engages with this really important local content. I support this bill wholeheartedly.

See this speech in context