Scott Ludlam (WA, Australian Greens) Share this | Hansard source

The Australian Greens understand that the switch-over from analog to digital television is quite a significant transition with quite a long history behind it. Both the population and the broadcasters will require education, preparation and, in some cases, support in order to make the transition successfully. The deadline will provide a useful incentive to prompt both the broadcasters and the population to get ready. But, as we know, a number of quite ambitious deadlines have already been set in the past for Australians to switch over, and yet we still find ourselves in this situation today. In its initial 1997 report, ACMA thought that Australia could be digital by the year 2000, and the Howard government projected 2001 for digital broadcasting in metropolitan areas and in all areas by 2004.

The Broadcasting Legislation Amendment (Digital Television Switch-over) Bill 2008 provides another set of deadlines. The bill empowers the minister to decide if a region is ready for the switch-over and gives him six months flexibility—three months either side of a set date—before flicking off the analog transmission. The Australian Greens concur with some of those who made submissions to the inquiry that having some clear criteria for assessing the readiness of an area would assist the minister in making this decision and ensure that the process is transparent. Having the switch-over occur in an election year does provide a strong incentive for the minister to ensure that a population is sufficiently ready.

However, we are concerned that some sectors are being overlooked. This bill specifically addresses commercial and national broadcaster-owned transmitters in the Australian television-watching community, but there is no indication in the bill at all of how the difficulties associated with community television broadcasters or current self-help transmission facilities, which retransmit commercial, national and national Indigenous television services, will be taken into account in setting or varying analog switch-off dates. At a Senate estimates hearing in October, the minister answered my question in this regard by saying:

… we have been working through a variety and considering a variety of options to assist in the transition, but at this stage we have not been able to resolve some of the difficulties. But we are confident that we will find an outcome that will deliver an enhanced community broadcasting outcome.

The minister assured us at the time that the government would be addressing that issue, but there were no details whatsoever—about the process, time lines or technology—as to how the community broadcasting sector was going to be able to make this transition. Again, in a briefing provided to my office by the department, similar statements were made that acknowledged the importance of the issue but provided no assurance that we were any closer to a solution.

Outside the remit of this bill, community and self-help broadcasters are certainly relevant to the digital switch-over. Submissions made to the inquiry noted that self-help analog-to-digital TV transmission arrangements, not only in remote areas but all over Australia, are not covered by the current digital switch-over bill. These organisations are concerned about the possibility of indefinite delay creating two tiers of broadcasting capabilities and services. As the committee’s report indicated, there is real concern that remote communities are going to miss out unless they are supported in bearing the cost of conversion.

In its submission to the Senate Standing Committee on Environment, Communications and the Arts inquiry into this bill, the department stated:

The Government is currently considering the options available for community television to make the transition from analog to digital.

But, again, there is no indication of how or when, so I very much look forward to getting an update in the minister’s speech today, not just an assurance that the government are thinking about it or that they care about the community broadcasting sector. I am very interested to hear an update from the minister with details of some time lines, technology and information about where the consultation is at, rather than just further assurances that everything will be fine if we just trust that the process is moving along.

The government needs to address these important factors in the digital switch-over more quickly and in more detail to ensure that many people, particularly Indigenous people and people on low incomes, are not cut out of the digital age when the analog transmission systems are switched off. In addition to setting deadlines, as it does with this legislation, the government will have to establish and deliver assistance schemes to those who cannot afford the switch-over and will also need to generate clear and simple public education materials to ensure that the population is ready. We are also interested, as Senator Minchin foreshadowed, in receiving much more detailed information about what take-up rate the government assumes is appropriate—for example, whether we are benchmarking against the take-up rate in the United Kingdom. The Senate should be provided with some more detail about exactly what criteria the minister will be using to benchmark the switch-over.

I note the minister’s press release of 19 October, where we got some detail on the 30-odd local market areas and the sequence order and the approximate time in which they would be switched over. Presumably there are some criteria underpinning those, so we know that such a thing must exist. I am a little bit curious that the minister is still asking for another six months to do so. Presumably that list was not established without criteria. We are certainly interested in hearing some more detail from the government as to how that list was compiled and the criteria under which the government will be undertaking the switch-over.