Steve Georganas (Hindmarsh, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to talk about the great contribution that community radio makes in my electorate, in South Australia and all around the country. In Adelaide, we have some amazing community radio stations, including Radio Adelaide, Three D Radio, 5EBI, RPH, Coast FM, which I'm proudly the ambassador of, Radio Italiana, Fresh FM, Radio ENA, a Greek radio station—just to name a few. These great organisations are predominantly staffed by dedicated volunteers. They are great ambassadors for the community. Recent statistics state that one in four Australians receive their news from or listen to community radio stations every single week. There are over 450 radio services across Australia, including the stations I just mentioned.

Community radio plays a very important and tremendous role in our community. It provides services to ethnic communities, people with disabilities and Indigenous Australians. Stations, such as Fresh FM, provide services to young people. Others provide local news and services that are unfiltered and tailored for their local target audience. I for one think that we are a richer society for the small investment that we make in community radio. I've been lucky to speak on Dave Hearn's Coast Talk show on Coast FM, which I am the ambassador for as well. He has a wonderful program about politics and things happening in the political sphere. I am very pleased that I appear on that program every few weeks. Dave is an example of what most community radio announcers are. Dave is a former police officer who turned DJ. He has over 10 years experience on air.

How does community radio differ from commercial radio? Apart from the obvious, the producers and announcers on Coast FM and Fresh FM can really explore local issues in more detail with authenticity and authority. I'm proud to say that Tim Roberts in my office is a life member of Fresh FM, which has a similar story. It was started by a small group of volunteers who wanted to create a youth radio station because the big commercial radio stations were not covering the issues and music.

For those of you not from Adelaide, Fresh FM is now part of the furniture on Adelaide airwaves. It wasn't always the case. Like most things these days, a small group of volunteers had to fight for this service. Today young people have a service that provides not only music that young people enjoy but important shows like Wavelength, which deals with issues such as homelessness, suicide and youth unemployment. These are important community services that provide real benefits for the community.

I also want to pay tribute to community radio stations Radio Italiana, 5EBI FM and Radio ENA, who do a magnificent job for the ethnic communities. Their hard work and dedication are of great benefit to the community. They should all be proud of it. (Time expired)