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

asked the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, upon notice, on 13 December 2010:

With reference to the Digital Switchover Taskforce and the Satellite Subsidy Scheme which will help households that rely on analog-only self-help towers to make the transition to the Viewer Access Satellite Television (VAST) and, in particular, to the switchover process in remote Indigenous communities:

(1) Is it true that on or about 1 April 2010 the Minister wrote to remote Indigenous communities which run analog television (TV) self-help transmission facilities and mentioned that one of their options for converting to digital television was to set up a digital self-help TV transmission facility; if so, can a copy of that letter (redacted as necessary to protect privacy) be provided. (2) What assistance could the department have provided those communities to assess the option of setting up their own digital self-help transmission facility.

(3) What kind of financial assistance and information has been provided to inform homes within remote communities to assess the option of converting to the new VAST satellite.

(4) What type of research has the department done on remote Indigenous communities in relation to the following:

  (a) the average number of TV sets and recorder devices in homes which need to be converted to digital;

  (b) the extent of insertion of local material into local self-help TV transmissions; and

  (c) the extent to which only indoor TV set top aerials are needed for current terrestrial TV reception.

(5) (a) Can the Minister confirm that the per-home subsidy available to remote Indigenous homes to convert to the VAST satellite may vary from approximately $550 to $980; and (b) what was the nature of the consultations that took place with remote Indigenous community viewers to determine these figures.

(6) During the 2010-11 Budget estimates the department reported there was only one model of VAST set top box available at a cost of approximately $269, whereas the Minister said at the same time that an equivalent high definition terrestrial set top box costs approximately $80. Given that portable indoor aerials for terrestrial TV reception are less expensive than satellite dishes and mounts: Can the Minister confirm whether the total private and public subsidy cost of converting homes in remote Indigenous communities to digital via satellite is nearly always likely to be more expensive than converting by terrestrial means.

(7) Will new homes in remote Indigenous communities be faced with the full extra cost of VAST after the satellite subsidy period expires.

(8) Given that homes across the remote central and eastern areas of Australia will have access to the new VAST free-to-air satellite platform from 15 December 2010, and that remote Indigenous homes in Queensland will be invited to opt into the Government's per home subsidy scheme to assist them to convert to satellite in April 2011, what is the Government doing to assist remote Indigenous communities to develop robust digital self-help facility designs and to compare the overall benefits of converting to digital via VAST satellite or digital self-help terrestrial means before these other key deadlines.

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy has provided the following answer to the honourable senator's question:

(1) Yes. A copy of the generic letter sent to licensees of self-help facilities not being converted to digital in remote areas, including remote Indigenous communities, is attached (available from the Senate Table Office).

(2), (3) and (8) The department has not provided assistance or information to homes or communities about the establishment of digital self help facilities. Decisions about whether or not to establish such facilities, or to upgrade existing facilities which are not on the broadcasters' self-help upgrade list, are matters for the local community.

Communities considering converting their self-help facilities to digital themselves, rather than accessing the government-funded Viewer Access Satellite Television (VAST) service and the Satellite Subsidy Scheme, must make their own arrangements to assess the option. The relevant local authorities will also need to contact the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) about the availability of suitable television spectrum and other technical matters.

(4) Consultations with Wujal Wujal Aboriginal Shire Council, Northern Peninsula Regional Council and Hope Vale Aboriginal Shire Council were undertaken by officers of the Digital Switchover Taskforce between September and December 2010. Consultation was also undertaken with the Regional Organisation of Councils of Cape York which is the peak body representing Aboriginal Shire Councils in Far North Queensland.

The recent review of the Indigenous Broadcasting and Media Sector (the Review) undertook a comprehensive consultation process, including public forums and meetings with key stakeholders in the Indigenous and mainstream broadcasting sectors and government agencies. Those consulted included the Australian Indigenous Communications Association, the Indigenous Remote Communications Association, National Indigenous Television, Indigenous Community Television, Imparja Television, the remote Indigenous television operators, NBN Co, the Northern Territory State Government and Broadcast Australia. The Review also drew upon previous government reviews into Indigenous broadcasting and relevant audience research data.

  (a) Due to the remoteness of Indigenous communities throughout Australia, the Review was unable to locate or source sufficiently accurate data to determine the extent of current television and recording devices within these communities.

  (b) While Remote Indigenous Broadcasting Services television operators have the ability to insert local content within their transmissions networks the Review was unable to determine the extent which operators use this facility and the actual hours of local content that is produced and transmitted. (c). The use of indoor aerials was not surveyed.

(5) (a) Eligible households located in identified remote Indigenous communities who rely on an existing self-help tower that will not be converted to digital, will receive a fully subsidised installation, requiring no household co-payment, of the necessary satellite reception equipment needed to convert to VAST.

  (b) Because households in identified remote Indigenous communities will receive a fully subsidised installation package to convert to VAST, no consultation about the subsidy amount in identified remote Indigenous communities was undertaken.

Liaison with affected Queensland Aboriginal Shire Councils and TV tower licensees took place in February 2011. Some Councils were contacted last year and were looking forward to the lack of tower maintenance burden with VAST. This is also the first time such a comprehensive range of free-to-air entertainment, news, children's and sports channels has been provided to very remote towns in Australia.

Further liaison with Indigenous Broadcasting peak bodies, relevant Queensland Remote Indigenous Media Organisations (RIMOs), and town representatives took place before SSS applications opened on 30 May 2011. This was to inform Remote Indigenous Communities (RICs) of the free VAST install opportunity for each household and to communicate the subsidised VAST rollout details.

(6) The Government considers that satellite is an efficient and effective means of delivering digital television to remote communities. Terrestrial self-help retransmission facilities have a number of limitations that do not apply to satellite: they impose on-going, and not always predictable, costs on local communities and councils for their operation and maintenance; they have an inflexible coverage area which cannot accommodate population shifts beyond the area served by the transmitter; and they can be subject to extended outages when there are transmitter faults if licensees have difficulty accessing spare parts and/or experienced technicians, particularly when transmitters are located in isolated or remote areas.

In addition, self-help transmitters do not cover all parts of Australia not served by broadcaster-operated transmitters, and consequently even if all of the nearly 700 existing self-help retransmission sites were converted to digital, this would still not ensure that all viewers throughout Australia would be able to access digital television services.

(7) New households, established after the satellite subsidy period expires, in areas served by the VAST service will need to purchase and install a VAST set top box and a satellite dish to receive the VAST service at their own cost.

(8) Please see response (2) above.