Anne Urquhart (Tasmania, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

At the request of Senator Kitching, I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

  (i) the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) has covered more than 850 emergency broadcasting events in the 2019-20 reporting period so far,

  (ii) this represents more than double the number of emergency broadcasting events covered by the ABC for all of 2018-19, and triple the year before that,

  (iii) in times of crisis, Australians turn to the national broadcaster for trusted news and information, and

  (iv) the ABC is a lifeline for at-risk and impacted communities, particularly when other lines of communication are affected by extreme weather events; and

(b) expresses its support for the work of the ABC in providing these essential services to all Australians, especially to those in regional areas;

(c) recognises that:

  (i) the whole of agency impact of the unprecedented bushfire season requires a significant commitment from the ABC,

  (ii) the cost of the ABC's emergency broadcasting comes out of its funding, and

  (iii) more frequent and intense climate events mean there will be increasing need for emergency broadcasting by the ABC;

(d) congratulates the ABC on the vital role it plays in the daily life of Australians and in Australia's democracy; and

(e) affirms the indispensable place of the ABC in the fabric of our nation.

Question agreed to.

Stirling Griff (SA, Centre Alliance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Before asking that the motion be taken as formal, I wish to inform the chamber that Senator Kitching will sponsor the motion. I, and also on behalf of Senators Hanson-Young and Kitching, move:

That the Senate—

(a) thanks the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) for its service in delivering vital emergency broadcasts and comprehensive coverage during the catastrophic fires;

(b) acknowledges the dramatic rise in emergency broadcasts - from 256 in

2017-18, to 371 in 2018-19 and close to 900 during this financial year, which have been delivered without additional funding to cover the resources which have been poured into the emergency broadcast effort;

(c) recognises that, since Boxing Day, as bushfires raged across Victoria (VIC), New South Wales (NSW) and South Australia, the ABC handled more than

100 emergency broadcasts in a single week, receiving widespread praise for the practical, life-saving information and the professionalism on display;

(d) notes heavy damage sustained to the ABC's radio and TV networks during the bushfires, particularly at Bateman's Bay in NSW and East Gippsland in VIC;

(e) commends the ABC for mobilising with the assistance of the ADF, Broadcast Australia and Commercial Broadcasters to restore local radio stations as the priority because of their critical role in providing information to communities during disasters;

(f) acknowledges the ABC's funding is decreasing at a time when emergency broadcasting events is increasing; and

(g) calls on the Federal Government to reverse the $83 million paused indexation funding, as a matter of urgency.

Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Forestry and Fisheries) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

or DUNIAM (—) (): I seek leave to make a short statement.

Scott Ryan (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Leave is granted for one minute.

Jonathon Duniam (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Assistant Minister for Forestry and Fisheries) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The ABC did an excellent job delivering vital emergency broadcasts during the recent bushfires. The ABC is well resourced, with over $1 billion in funding per year, which has enabled it to do such a good job of emergency broadcasting.

Question agreed to.