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

At the request of Senators Chisholm, Watt and Green, I move:

That the Senate—

(a) notes that:

(i) 8 December 2020 is the 45th anniversary of the first official broadcast of community radio station 4ZZZ-FM from studios at the University of Queensland,

(ii) 4ZZZ was the first FM stereo radio station in Queensland, the first community broadcaster in Australia with journalists accredited by the (then) Australian Journalists Association, and the first mass-audience format community broadcaster in Australia, and

(iii) 4ZZZ has provided and continues to provide an important means of exposure for many Brisbane musicians, and an important independent local outlet for information and news;

(b) congratulates all those involved in establishing and maintaining this pioneering community-based radio station, now broadcasting from studios in Fortitude Valley in Brisbane; and

(c) expresses support for the ongoing development of community broadcasting in Australia as an important component in ensuring the community has access to a diverse and adequate range of information and entertainment.

Pauline Hanson (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

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

Leave is granted for one minute.

Pauline Hanson (Queensland, Pauline Hanson's One Nation Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Community radio stations across the country continue to outperform commercial networks for the time spent listening and, therefore, their listeners are more inclined to support station sponsors, who help to maintain the running costs of these stations. Whilst it is unlikely that 4ZZZ's hosts are One Nation supporters, I do support their efforts as a community radio station and I congratulate them on 45 years of community service throughout Brisbane.

Let me also take this opportunity to highlight other community stations, including Keppel FM in Yeppoon, NOOSA FM on the Sunshine Coast, Sunshine FM in Buderim, Bay FM in Cleveland, 4CRM in Mackay, Fraser Coast FM in Hervey Bay and many others across my home state of Queensland, who all do a great job. In a time where we hear excessive network content on commercial radio stations, it's community radio which genuinely provides the most amount of local content for local communities.

Question agreed to.