Anne Webster (Mallee, National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Regional Health) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the Communications Legislation Amendment (Regional Broadcasting Continuity) Bill 2024. Mildura and the wider Sunraysia region are ground zero for the vanishing future of regional free-to-air television broadcasting, which is in stark contrast to the trailblazing position Labor claimed Mildura held back in 2010—more on that in a moment. The 1 July closure of Mildura Digital Television Pty Ltd and, thereby, the transmission of Channel 10 and affiliate channel content must become a critical juncture for regional television in our nation, and it demands more than a bandaid. Regional Australians need and deserve a comprehensive long-term strategy to secure sustainable regional broadcasting.

Mildura residents can no longer watch Channel 10 or its Bold and Peach channels on free-to-air television, as Mildura Digital Television has now shut down. MasterChef is off the menu, and Mildura is sadly and undeservedly in the cheap seats. One constituent who rang my office was quite emotional. No longer will she be able to watch The Bold and the Beautiful.

The sad reality of this unwanted first is that in 2010, the Sunraysia region welcomed the then communications minister Stephen Conroy who read out the countdown for gathered media as Sunraysia became the first region in Australia to switch from analogue to digital. On board the PS Mundoo paddle boat—a fabulous paddle boat in the Mildura region—Minister Conroy, on loudspeaker over the phone, told technician Rob Kovac at Yatpool to flick the switch to switch off the analogue signal. As the analogue screen flicked to white noise, Minister Conroy then said, 'Today, Mildura makes history again as it becomes the first region in Australia to make the switch to digital only TV.' How sad that just 14 years later Mildura takes the unwanted first of being the first in the nation to switch off a digital TV signal. Indeed, Sunraysia residents are now the first in the country to cease having access to one of the nation's five major television channels. It's little wonder that the Labor spin doctors have called this bill a continuity bill. The only continuous thing from this government is weakness, incompetence and robbing regions to buy votes in the inner cities.

I raised the alarm about Mildura Digital Television's decision when I first heard about it in early May. I wrote to the communications minister, Minister Rowland, asking for assistance or intervention, bearing in mind that some of our older viewers may not have had the TV to access the digital alternative or may not have the digital literacy to do so. The panellists on The Project expressed similar concerns on Sunday night. I also spoke to both WIN, who co-own the Mildura digital TV operation, and Channel 10. In a peculiar arrangement, 10 are powerless to stop their programs from going off air due to a decision by the co-owners of MD TV's affiliates, Seven and Nine.

A constituent wrote to me about the loss of Channel 10 locally. She said:

As a long-time viewer, I am deeply distressed by this decision, as it impacts not only me but also many other residents in the area who rely on Channel Ten for news, entertainment and community connection.

Another constituent told me:

If they let Channel Ten close its services to Mildura, it will cause a cascade of changes across all networks—

How true—

Look at the banks, one closes in a small area and others follow.

My partner and I often watch 10 when we come home from a long day.

The second constituent is right about a cascade of changes that will follow, as we saw with bank branches. Free TV Australia has called for reform to establish a stable, long-term footing for regional television broadcasting. As regional Australians begin to lose access to television services, the availability of local trusted news, local advertising opportunities for regional businesses and Australian content in regional areas are all under threat.

Most regrettably, Mallee knows this all too well. Mallee has not one single television journalist or news service presented in the region. I remind the House that that is over one-third of the geographical area of Victoria. On the Mildura Digital Television shutdown, Free TV CEO, Bridget Fair, told ABC Mildura-Swan Hill: 'This has been a long time coming and the government has been aware of it, so they should have maybe had a bit more time to come up with a plan.'

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