Renee Coffey (Griffith, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

For many of us, Australian stories live in our memories as moments on screen that marked out whole chapters of our lives. We remember Scott and Charlene's wedding on Neighbours with the classic 1980s big hair and big shoulder pads, when it felt like the nation pressed pause to watch two young Aussies say 'I do' and then talked about it at school and work the next day. Who can forget sitting around the television for Molly's death on A Country Practicea heartbreaking scene in the garden—tissues in hand, as families right across the country cried together. That slow fade to black still feels like a punch in the gut to me today. We remember the collective shock and outrage when Dr Patrick died on Offspring. That gut punch of an episode had people texting other as the credits rolled, wondering how a fictional character could make us feel we had lost a friend. Even the New South Wales Police joined in the drama, posting, 'We appreciate your calls but we cannot arrest anyone at Channel 10 for killing Patrick.' Who could forget the visual of Maggie, clutching her proud bargain purchase of roadside oranges on Mother and Son or the chaotic moment as a dozen oranges wreaked havoc at the graveside—my mother threatened to buy some oranges on the way to a recent funeral—or Ernie Dingo in the house auction skit of Fast Forward.

With my remaining minutes, we could barely scratch the surface of the countless incredible scenes and iconic lines from Kath and Kim. I'm sure we could hotly debate our favourites. We all know of course, it's when Kath fake-tanned her wrong arm. These moments stayed with us because they were ours—Australian characters, Australian heartbreak, Australian humour—beamed into living rooms and woven into our shared story.

In Griffith, I see every day how much stories matter. On week nights in West End, Woolloongabba, Coorparoo and Carina, families pile on the couch after dinner, kids in school uniforms or pyjamas, flicking through channels trying to find something to watch together. Sometimes it's an Australian drama like Home and Away or Neighbours that looks like the beaches and cul-de-sacs in the community. Sometimes it's an original docuseries like Annabel Crabb'sCivic Duty, which highlights to us the remarkable story of the uniquely Australian democratic system that we all rightly treasure. Sometimes they land on Bluey, that little blue heeler from Brisbane who has become global superstar. Whilst I hear the member for Ryan's comments, I have heard some argue that Bluey, in fact, does live in Griffith. What this amendment is about is very simple: making sure that, no matter which platform the people of Griffith and across Australia choose, they can still find Australian stories on their screens.

Revive, our national cultural policy, is a five-year plan to renew and rebuild Australia's arts, entertainment and cultural sector. It sets out a simple but powerful vision: 'a place for every story, a story for every place'. At the heart of Revive is a recognition that our people and our stories are our greatest cultural asset. Stories shape how our kids see themselves. They tell migrants and refugees that their experience belongs here and enriches our country. They help us understand First Nations cultures, which have cared for this continent for tens of thousands of years.

Revive also identified the need for Australian screen content requirements on streaming platforms, recognising that, as audiences shift from free-to-air and pay television to subscription video-on-demand, we must make sure local stories are not crowded out or allowed to disappear from our screens and platforms. For many years, Australian content rules have applied to free-to-air television and subscription broadcasters. The Broadcasting Services Act 1992 and the Broadcasting Services (Australian Content and Children's Television) Standards 2020 require commercial broadcasters to meet Australian content quotas, including a minimum of 55 per cent Australian programming between 6 am and midnight on primary channels and specific first-release quotas for Australian drama and children's content. These rules exist for a reason. They make sure that our screens reflect our own identity and diversity and that local creators have a fair go in their own market.

The way we access and watch our content has changed. Families in Griffith, including my own, are watching more streamed content than ever before. Platforms like Netflix, Disney Plus, Stan, Amazon Prime and others have brought extraordinary choice and some remarkable shows, but, unlike traditional broadcasters, they currently have no baseline obligation to invest in Australian stories. Industry has been clear about the risk: without local content requirements on streaming platforms, Australian drama, kids programs and documentaries will be squeezed out by cheaper imports and global productions; producers will struggle to finance local projects; crews will face insecure work; and Australian will kids grow up seeing fewer and fewer shows that sound like them and look like the streets they walk down.

Revive promised a renewed commitment, and now we are putting this plan into action. This bill amends the Broadcasting Services Act 1992 to introduce Australian content expenditure requirements for subscription video-on-demand streaming services. It also makes consequential amendments to the Australian Communications and Media Authority Act 2005 so the regulator can oversee and enforce the new framework. For the first time, major streaming services operating in Australia—those with more than one million Australian subscribers—will be required to make a minimum investment in new Australian content.

The first thing the bill provides is a 10 per cent expenditure obligation. Regulated streaming services will be required to invest at least 10 per cent of their total program expenditure for their Australian service on new Australian commissions or first-release acquisitions of eligible programs. Total program expenditure includes spending on all eligible programs available to Australian subscribers, except news or sport, and includes the Australian share of globally commissioned or licensed content. Eligible formats include drama, children's programs, documentaries, and arts and educational programs.

The second thing is a flexible 7.5 per cent revenue option. As an alternative, providers can choose a voluntary pathway where their obligation is calculated as 7.5 per cent of their gross Australian revenue, again limited to those same eligible program types. This hybrid model recognises that different businesses have different expenditure patterns while still guaranteeing a meaningful level of local investment.

The third thing is a clear, consistent definition of Australian content. The bill uses the existing definition of Australian content in the Broadcasting Services (Australian Content and Children's Television) Standards 2020, the same framework that currently applies to free-to-air and subscription broadcasters. That means a level playing field across platforms and continuity for producers who already work within those rules.

The fourth thing is a three-year carry-over period. Screen production works in multi-year cycles. Some years will be heavier on commissions than others. To reflect that reality, services will have a three-year carry-over period to acquit their program expenditure. Over-delivery in one year can be carried forward to assist in meeting obligations in subsequent years.

The fifth thing relates to review and accountability. The bill requires a statutory review four years after the obligations commence to make sure the scheme is effective and fit for purpose, and to consider whether adjustments are needed. Breaches of the new obligations will be subject to civil penalties, with ACMA empowered to monitor compliance—just as it does for existing television content rules.

The sixth thing relates to targeted scope and sensible exemptions. These obligations are aimed squarely at major subscription streaming services. They do not apply to services that offer predominantly user-generated content, services that do not have paying subscribers and rely wholly on advertising, services that only make money from one-off transactions, services with limited appeal or special interest audiences or services that only operate for a special event or provide content of very limited appeal. This ensures that we do not burden small or niche platforms, and focus obligations where they will have the greatest cultural impact.

In short, this amendment guarantees a minimum level of investment in Australian stories on the platforms Australians increasingly use while giving services flexibility in how they meet that obligation. People in Griffith are not thinking about the Broadcasting Services Act when they sit down to stream a show after work. They just want good content that feels like it belongs to them. What this amendment means for them is that, when they open a streaming app, there will be Australian stories there. There will be stories with our accents, humour, landscapes and diversity. It means more shows like Bluey being made here and shared with the world. Content like Bluey connects Australians with who they are and helps us share that worldwide.

For workers in Queensland's screen sector, this amendment means greater certainty. Queensland's screen industry is already a major contributor to our state economy, generating hundreds of millions of dollars in production expenditure and providing jobs for skilled Queenslanders and diverse local businesses. We see that in studios across Brisbane, on sets around our suburbs and at the Screen Queensland facilities that are attracting domestic and international productions to our state.

A stronger pipeline of Australian commissions on streaming platforms means more work for writers, directors, actors and crew. It means more opportunities for post-production houses, costume and set builders, caterers and small businesses. And it means more chances for students in our local schools and TAFEs who dream of a career in film, television or digital production. For First Nations storytellers in our community, this also means more platforms to share stories that are so central to who we are as a nation, which is a key focus of Revive. And for parents in Griffith it means our children will be able to grow up with new Australian kids shows that reflect their world and values, not just imported content. The voices on the screen will not just come from somewhere else; they will sound like the kids in their classroom.

The 10 per cent expenditure obligation with an optional 7.5 per cent revenue based pathway gives companies choice in how they meet their obligations. The three-year carry-over period reflects real production cycles. The four-year review ensures that we can adjust settings if they are not delivering the intended outcomes. This is not regulation for regulation's sake. It is carefully calibrated framework that aligns streamers with obligations that free-to-air and pay TV already meet. It gives certainty to industry and workers, and guarantees audiences access to Australian content across all major platforms. Labor has always believed that culture is not an optional extra. It is part of the basic fabric of a fair, confident and cohesive country. Revive repositions arts and culture as central to Australia's future alongside health, education and jobs.

This bill is one concrete way to give life to that idea. It delivers on the commitment made in Revive to introduce Australian content requirements for streaming services. It delivers on the commitment made by our prime minister and the Minister for the Arts during the election campaign. And it delivers on the commitments from the Minister for Communications and the Minister for the Arts to legislate an Australian content obligation on streaming platforms. It says to every child in Griffith who wants to write, act, animate or direct that there will be space for their story. It says to every worker in our screen and creative industries that their skills and jobs matter, and this Albanese Labor government is prepared to put in place the rules that give them a fair go. It says to audiences that, in a global market with endless choice, Australian stories will not be left to chance; they will be guaranteed.

In Griffith, we know that, when our kids see themselves and their communities reflected on screen, they feel that this country truly belongs to them. The Communications Legislation Amendment (Australian Content Requirement for Subscription Video On Demand (Streaming) Services) Bill is about making sure that, as technology changes, that simple truth does not. It's about putting Australian stories in front of Australian audiences on every screen. It is consistent with our national cultural policy. It is backed by industry analysis. It is fair to platforms and vital for workers. It honours the promise we made to ensure a place for every story and a story for every place for the families of Griffith, for Queensland's screen sector and for everyone who believes that Australian stories matter.

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