Robert Oakeshott (Lyne, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise certainly not to oppose the Social Security Legislation Amendment (Digital Television Switch-over) Bill 2009, but I do raise several concerns from the perspective of the people of the mid-North Coast of New South Wales and from a public policy perspective. By way of background to the bill, the government has announced that all free-to-air television broadcasters in Australia will complete the switch from analog transmission to digital only transmission by the end of 2013. Switching to digital television, in the words of the government, will be ‘a straightforward and inexpensive task for the vast majority of Australians’. We certainly hope so.

However, the government says:

… some viewers may need practical, in-home assistance to make the switch to digital. To ensure these Australians are not disadvantaged by the switch-over, the Government will implement an assistance program in regions switching from analog to digital transmission between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2011.

Those areas are the Mildura-Sunraysia region, regional South Australia, regional Victoria and regional Queensland. The message from the government is:

Lessons learned from switching over these regions will inform the broader switch-over of the rest of Australia.

What is described as inexpensive, practical in-home assistance, when you look at the financial impact, equates to $70 million over three years. In 2009-10, $11.3 million is being provided. I would assume that is for the Mildura-Sunraysia changeover. Then there is the meatier $31 million for 2010-11 and $29.8 million for 2011-12, covering the regional South Australia, regional Victoria and regional Queensland changeovers.

The message that this is an inexpensive switch-over does raise some concerns for me on behalf of my region, the mid-North Coast of New South Wales, in that the financial impact, as of 2012-13, stops dead. As we all know, the fiscal message from government is: ‘Yes, we’re spending big at the moment. In about three years time it will be the responsibility and the obligation of all of us to limit spending as much as possible for the broader budgetary considerations.’ I therefore raise the concern that $70 million is going to be dropped into four regions of Australia to do what is considered an inexpensive switch-over and then there is nothing after that for the other regions of Australia. It is, I think, a large hope that ‘lessons learnt from switching over these regions will inform the broader switch-over of the rest of Australia’. There will be people in other regions of Australia in need of in-home assistance. I do not accept that it will be a revenue neutral exercise come 2012-13, which is, sadly, when regional New South Wales and areas such as the mid-North Coast get to make the switch-over.

The Australian government’s switch-over timetable sets out a region by region transition to digital television, giving Australians ample notice to become ready for analog switch-off. As has previously been said, switch-over will begin in Mildura-Sunraysia in the first half of 2010, with switch-over in all areas of Australia completed by 31 December 2013. The specific date for analog switch-off within this six-month period will take into account local market circumstances and community feedback. An area within my region where there have been continual dropouts in reception is Mount Seaview. It lies in the remote central and eastern Australia switch-over and licence area. The analog switch-off will occur there in the second half of 2013. Another area of concern with regard to television reception is the Long Flat area. The Long Flat self-help facility lies in the Northern Rivers switch-over area and is due to be converted in the second half of 2012.

The message from government—in a letter I received from Minister Conroy—is this continual line that the lessons learnt from the switch-over in Mildura will help to inform the approach to the broader digital switch-over program around the country. Great weight is being placed on this issue but no financial resourcing is being provided. I would certainly hope that there is consideration of that question for the final out year of this switch-over period—that 2012-13 window—because for only four regions of Australia to be able to receive assistance of $70 million and the rest of Australia to be, at no expense to government, relying on the lessons learnt from the experience is, I think, a rather large assumption on the part of the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy. Otherwise, I think this is a sensible and necessary change.

I never thought that teeth and television would be close together, but the change has to occur alongside some changes appearing in the Dental Benefits Act 2008 and in section 202 of the Social Security (Administration) Act. As someone relatively new to this place, I find those sorts of titbits about the way government works absolutely fascinating. I am sure that my broader community at home will not find those sorts of issues fascinating, but it goes to the length, breadth and reach that the Commonwealth has to go to in order to achieve what is, on the surface, a somewhat inconsequential practical change from analog to digital.

I would like to make two other quick points, now that there are other speakers here. The first one regards advertising. In our office we are starting to receive a lot of complaints about advertising of digital. It is rubbing our region’s nose in it. The changeover does not occur for three more years and yet the promotion of digital television is occurring. The letters about truth in advertising on local television are starting to appear. The government needs to keep an eye on raising the level of angst about this changeover.

The other point I would like to make regards support for local councils within my region, and I am sure it is a similar issue with other councils around Australia. It is seen to be somewhat of a council responsibility to assist in the problem of television coverage black spots, and there are various programs that council in my region deliver on their own. Quite often, however, they apply for grants from government to try and achieve those outcomes. There are some questions about the size of the grants provided by government and the size of the task that is being left for council to achieve. The two are somewhat disconnected, the size of the grant being a lot smaller than the cost of the exercise for councils to fill these black holes in the delivery of telecommunications—in this case, digital television or television generally. I would ask the minister to consider the complaints from local authorities as to the level of support from government in helping to fill black spot areas of television coverage generally, and assistance with regard to this switch-over to digital for the local administrations, particularly in black spots and drop-out areas.

The federal government and the department of communications can generally share the love with local authorities in trying to make this as smooth a transition as possible, and generally share the love with regard to the question of trying, regardless of where people live—it might be at the deepest, darkest alley—as much as possible to provide equity of service in the full sweep of telecommunications that is every Australian’s right to access. It might be television, analog or digital, or mobile phones or landlines, or internet coverage—but there should be equity of service delivery. I hope the government does not drop the ball on that and does fulfil its commitment to make sure whatever resources are required are provided.

I do not oppose the legislation but I do question the financial impacts and the missing year in the out years, the final year. I hope that the government provides an answer on that and on the question of advertising for three years for a service that we cannot access. There is also the general question with regard to the equity of service delivery by the government in regional communities such as mine.

Shayne Neumann (Blair, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak in support of the Social Security Legislation Amendment (Digital Television Switch-over) Bill 2009. I see this legislation in the context of the Rudd government’s commitment to not only regional Australia but also our senior citizens and those doing it tough. One of the great myths of Australian society, and it is a myth perpetrated by those opposite, is that the Labor Party and Labor governments do not care for regional areas and do not care for those who are senior citizens. It is a great myth that they try to perpetrate and perpetuate.

This legislation is yet another example of the Rudd Labor government caring for regional Australia. Having travelled through a lot of Queensland, I can say that Queenslanders are often different. They are often suffering from the challenges of the tyranny of distance; they are often in small rural communities or regional towns, where they have difficulty getting access to good postal services, to the broadband network and to radio and television and those kinds of services. They are absolutely crucial. We saw that last year with the floods in North Queensland and we saw it recently with the floods in South-East Queensland. Queensland, and regional Queensland in particular, needs this kind of assistance. It is assistance the Rudd Labor government is providing with respect to ports, railways and roads et cetera.

This legislation is providing financial assistance for those who are in receipt of the age pension, the disability support pension, the carer payment, the Department of Veterans’ Affairs service pension or the income support supplement. It is the kind of assistance that is typical of a Labor government that cares for those in need. Certainly the digital revolution will be enjoyed by this country, and digital television will be something that in years to come Australians will think is fantastic. The provision of set-top boxes, cables and antennas will be necessary, of course, for the switch-over. Providing household assistance in terms of a package from this government will enable those in regional Australia to make that transition across a number of years.

That assistance and the kind of payments I have mentioned will not go to people who are generally wealthy. These people will qualify by means of their military service or their age, or by their income or their assets. People who are senior citizens and who are more housebound than others enjoy the benefits of television as a means by which they can be in touch with the world. I am sure all of us in this House have friends and relatives living in regional areas of Australia for whom the television set provides access not just to entertainment but also to information. It enables them to keep in touch with what is happening in the broader world, and this is particularly the case for those who are shut in. I have friends and relatives who are bedridden or who cannot leave their nursing home and for them television is their main source of entertainment. Apart from the community activities provided by aged-care facilities, this is the only entertainment they have to enjoy. Providing help for these people in the transition to digital television is very important. We all know that digital television will provide benefits in terms of improved picture and sound quality, and greater program choice for all of us as consumers.

The Rudd Labor government is committing in 2009-10 $11.3 million, in 2010-11 $31.1 million and in 2011-12 $29.8 million for a number of regions—Mildura, regional South Australia, regional Victoria and the regional area of my home state of Queensland, between 1 July 2011 and 31 December 2011. In my experience, regional Queensland is full of people who have decided to retire in particular areas. They have come from farming communities or are simply looking for a life in rural and regional areas, having come from cities on the coast, particularly Brisbane. The Rudd Labor government is strongly committed to regional Queensland, including my electorate. My electorate starts 50 kilometres from Brisbane and goes into the Fassifern Valley, down to the New South Wales border and to the foothills of the Toowoomba range, including all of the Lockyer Valley. The people in those rural communities, certainly the people in Ipswich, suffered under the previous government because telecommunications was not something that was considered by the Howard government a priority for my electorate.

When it came to national broadband, for example, that concept was alien to the Howard government. Their fixed wireless system did not take into consideration topography, so great areas of my electorate, particularly where there were hills, could not get access to the kind of internet services that they needed. They had to rely upon dial-up services or could not even get access at all. This was a constant source of frustration to many people, particularly those in rural communities, but also to those in Ipswich, where I live and which is full of hills. Many people in Ipswich could not get access to the kind of broadband and telecommunications contact that they needed in their circumstances. So I speak on this bill because I think it is important for my state. It is particularly important for those many people who live outside of Brisbane, those millions of Queenslanders. Brisbane does not dwarf our state. It is small in terms of population, compared to Sydney or Melbourne, vis-a-vis the rest of its state. A lot more people live outside Brisbane than live in Brisbane itself. So access to digital television will help many people in rural and regional Queensland.

What we are doing is providing practical in-home assistance. We are providing help to switch from analog to digital. That is good assistance from the point of view of my electorate as well. We are seeing help being given to regional Queensland. It is going to provide access to information: technological access to a national broadband network, access to digital television and access to the kinds of services which will enable people to compete in health, schooling and business. They will also get access to the kind of lifestyle that is enjoyed in capital cities.

The Rudd government is strongly committed to pensioners, and this bill provides assistance to pensioners, those on the disability support pension, those receiving carer payments and those on the Department of Veterans’ Affairs service pension income support supplement. Since I was elected in November 2007, I have seen stimulus packages which have helped my electorate. The kinds of people that will benefit in regional Queensland from this sort of funding will benefit from the Rudd Labor government’s commitment to people on those types of payments. For example, in terms of the stimulus package that was handed down last year, 43,701 people in my electorate have received funding under the Economic Security Strategy in the circumstances of $1,400 for single pensioners and $2,100 for couples. I have seen 12,553 families receive the kind of financial support available through back-to-school bonuses as well. There were too the 119 farmers who were recipients in the regional areas of my seat. Even now, with this budget funding, we are seeing the 23,505 people getting age pensions, disability support pensions, family tax benefit A or carer payments receiving additional funding from the Rudd Labor government. So I see this bill in the context of the assistance given to the kinds of people we are talking about here, such as the age pension payment recipients and the disability support pension recipients. In my electorate we have 7,783 people receiving disability support pensions. The kind of assistance that the Rudd Labor government is providing through the budget and through the first and second stimulus packages is very important for electors in my seat.

I do not share the concerns of the member for Lyne with respect to regional Australia. I think the Rudd government is caring for regional Australia in a way that the coalition failed to do. We see that in the kind of response that we have made in terms of infrastructure payments and assistance to schools and in black spot funding for roads to councils in rural areas right across Queensland.

I am very happy to speak in support of a bill which will help my state and help the people in rural and regional Queensland, as well as in the Mildura area, regional South Australia and regional Victoria. They are people on the land, mainly, and in small communities that suffer from distance. They do not necessarily enjoy the access to recreation, sporting, schooling and business life that those who live in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane enjoy, so any assistance we can give them in terms of financial support—particularly for those senior citizens who have contributed so much to our economy and community life—is a very good, noble and correct thing to do.

The transition to digital television and the assistance we are providing viewers who are entitled to these sorts of payments is a great initiative of the Rudd Labor government. It shows the commitment we have to the kinds of areas that many people think Labor governments do not care for—that is an urban legend and a myth. I am pleased to support this bill and I commend it to the House.

Rowan Ramsey (Grey, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Let me say from the outset that the Social Security Legislation Amendment (Digital Television Switch-over) Bill 2009 is a good bill. I do not have any problems with the intentions of it. The need to switch over to digital television is a concept that started in Australia around 10 years ago, in 1998, and it is right that we should move on. None of those things do I doubt. What I am concerned about is the readiness of the government to deliver the technology to achieve this changeover date.

It is interesting to speak just after the member for Blair, who talked about the number of regional dwellers in Queensland. I can tell the member for Blair before he leaves this chamber that, when I switch on my television at home, I too enjoy regional television from Queensland, courtesy of earlier government decisions, from my side of politics, that implemented the footprints around Australia to protect commercial television operators. I have always seen it as an unfortunate thing that, when people from my electorate of Grey in South Australia—not all of us, but a significant portion—turn on the television at night, they receive regional news from Townsville and not from somewhere in South Australia.

That brings me back to readiness. The timetable for the switch-over, we are informed at the moment, is to begin in the Mildura region in early 2010 and then move into my electorate of Grey in the second half of 2010. One of the things that concern me is that much of the regional television is actually delivered by a black spot program. There is a lot of complexity, and it is sometimes difficult to get full understanding of the issues across to people. I have found, while dealing with those that are delivering the switch-over to this new television system, that I am often frustrated by their lack of knowledge about many of these localised systems and how they will be affected by the digital switch-over.

In particular, where I live, for instance, which is in the Central Australian footprint, television is delivered by satellite, which gives us Imparja, 7 Central, ABC and SBS. In many of the small communities, that analog signal from the satellite is collected by black spot transmitters, which were funded by the previous government, and then retransmitted into the district as a UHF signal. That applies to part of the electorate. Other parts receive that analog signal from a normal analog transmitter, and it is rebooted in the district via the black spot transmitter.

The government has indicated that in this changeover it is not going to reinvest and reinvigorate those black spot transmitters to a digital standard; so they will be switched off. The government’s solution to this problem is to offer everybody a subsidised satellite service, which will still entail a cost of around $600 to those not helped by the bill before the House. So it comes at quite a cost. But the downside for communities in my electorate such as Booleroo, Melrose and Orroroo, which are existing off an analog signal that is rebroadcast in the district in UHF, is that analog will no longer be available and the transmission tower, which is not capable of picking up digital, will be shut down, and those communities will pick up their feeds from satellite. That means that at this stage they will move off their local signal and start picking up the Central Australian footprint, which will once again bring Queensland regional news into the living rooms of people in my electorate. This is totally unsatisfactory—they want to stay connected to their community—it is also pretty undesirable for those who run those television stations.

I understand the government’s proposal is to commission extra satellite channels to feed regional station programs back into the communities. However, detail is scant, the decisions have not yet been made and the date of early 2010 is looming. So there is a fair bit of unrest and unease about what kind of television reception many of these communities will have after that switch-over date. As I said, I am in favour of the switch-over. Of course we are all in favour of the switch-over—we have been talking about it for 10 years and it must happen—but it is just this worry over the preparedness for the technological changes that have to happen.

If we fall back on that satellite signal across much of our community and have not installed anything to replace it, I fear not only for the local television station but also for local advertising, which will fall away quite quickly. It affects businesses across the region. Somewhere further down the track in this debate we must also revisit some of the anomalies in those broadcast footprints across Australia where we have people living 2,000 kilometres away from the transmission source—that is, their local regional news program. It is particularly galling to me as I wander around my electorate only to get home and not be able to see local on television in the evening. It is something I have learned to live with, but for many others it is a major inconvenience.

It means that in South Australia, particularly in the rural regions, including Roxby Downs and Ceduna, it is difficult to get Australian Rules football broadcast. The one channel broadcasting Australian Rules football has no focus on the South Australian teams, whereas if you took your feed locally you would see Port Power or the magnificent Crows. People want to see their local team. That is the problem we have with the current footprints. Unless the government is prepared and the technology is organised on those switch-over dates, we are going to see a lot of people lose that local feed and they are not going to be happy about it.

The issue is preparedness. Can we do it on time? I would like to hear some strong statements from the minister. I would like him to come out and say: ‘Yes, we can. We know exactly what technology we’re going to use to suit these people, to feed local content into their houses, to support those local television producers.’ That would alleviate the unease. It would also help local councils which are dealing with these black spot issues. We all know that digital signals are not as strong as analog. We remember well when we turned off analog phones and went to digital that people were deprived of telephones in a lot of places. We look to Mildura with anticipation to see how the government addresses these problems, but I also look to the minister for some strong indications about how the government is going to deal with these changes technologically.

Mike Symon (Deakin, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to support the Social Security Legislation Amendment (Digital Television Switch-over) Bill 2009. More Australians than ever before are enjoying the benefits of digital television, with better picture quality and sound, more channel options and new content. These are all key reasons why people are changing over to digital. But adjustment can be difficult. We know that not everyone adapts well when there is a need for change, and nor do they necessarily understand how to undertake the few steps necessary to make their television viewing that much better. An example that is a little before my time but still quite relevant is when we took on the metric system. When miles became kilometres and even our currency changed and pennies became one-cent pieces, it was recognised that some people needed a bit more help than others in adapting to the way things were going to be done. But, with a bit of patience and some understanding and support, those who could not cope with the new currency and new measurement system eventually adapted, and most quickly understood that the change was inevitable.

Back to the 21st century, we also recognise that, although there is a small expenditure associated with this change to digital television, for some in these difficult times even relatively low costs can seem insurmountable. Hence this bill is aimed at making the lives of many in the community easier as it seeks to support recipients of the age pension, disability support pensioners, carer payment recipients and those on Department of Veterans’ Affairs service pension to switch over from analog to digital television transmission. Not everyone is entirely clear on what digital television is and how it works. Although that is probably true of free-to-air analog TV and most of the other technologies we enjoy in our homes and workplaces already, it is a change. It can seem simple just to go to the shop and buy a new unit, but when you get it home it does not always work that way.

Television broadcasts currently come into our homes as both analog and digital signals in most areas, but digital is the modern form of communication and is the method through which the signals are sent and received. I am proud of the way the Australian government has been working to ensure our country is keeping pace with global technology, which is in stark contrast to what we have seen of previous governments. The announcement that all free-to-air TV broadcasters in Australia will complete the switch from analog transmission to digital-only transmission by the end of 2013 will be welcomed by everyone once they have the facility to receive the signal in their own homes. Digital television is being adopted all over the world for the reasons I mentioned earlier: better picture and sound quality, better reception and more channel viewing options. This system of having to operate side by side transmissions takes up a considerable amount of the available spectrum—space that could be used for other services and on which there is a very high premium. The change to digital will allow some of those spectrums to be freed up for use in other areas. Digital still takes up a slice of that spectrum, but by removing the analog signals we will gain some of that back.

Furthermore, it is expensive and inefficient to operate both systems simultaneously, especially when all new televisions on the market now are set up for digital compatibility. There are several options for households to make the change to digital television. Households can add a set-top box, connect a personal video recorder or buy an integrated digital television, a step I took last year. I have a technical background, but I had to do an awful lot of reading of the manual. I am happy to say I did succeed with that and can now watch digital television.

We know that more people than ever before are enjoying the benefits of digital television. One of the ways we can be sure of the feasibility of this change is through the results of the digital tracker survey. This comprehensive investigation used random digit dialling to survey over 9,000 households over 33 switch-over areas. The study measured the national take-up of digital television whilst also monitoring the Australian public’s awareness and attitudes towards the digital switch-over. The information from this research will help make decisions about how to communicate the message most effectively and ensure that any areas particularly suffering from a lack of understanding can be targeted more accurately.

The findings of the first quarterly report indicated a very high awareness of the government’s plans for digital switch-over, with over 82 per cent of households conscious of the plan to switch Australia to digital TV—although this knowledge varied according to many factors, including where the respondent lived. Interestingly, 47 per cent of Australian households have already converted to digital television and, of those with a digital set-top box, 82 per cent found that it was an easy step. I would like to commend the minister, Senator Conroy, for the way in which it has been handled. For such a big change to the community, there is more acceptance of the switch than I had expected. I think part of that acceptance might be driven by the content that is available on the new channels.

The research in the digital tracker survey found that the proportion of households who had expressed negative views was relatively low across all areas, varying from 11 per cent for Perth to 18 per cent for Sydney and regional and remote Western Australia. However, there were some groups who had relatively low conversion rates and low levels of understanding of how to convert to digital TV. The factors that were identified as important in this result were the respondent’s geographic area and whether they were age pensioners or whether they had particularly low incomes. People in my electorate of Deakin, east of Melbourne, are not expected to switch over to digital until 2013. They have plenty of time to make the necessary changes so that they can enjoy the benefits of digital television. But there are people who are having trouble with this change and who are also worried about the cost.

This bill is designed to assist those in the community who are most in need of help with the switch-over. The bill will provide welcome relief to those who are worried about the cost. I am talking about those people who are in receipt of the maximum rate of the following payments: age pensions, disability support pensions, carer payments and Department of Veterans’ Affairs service pensions. This provision is in recognition that for some members of the community change can be difficult. Just like with the change from the imperial system to the metric system, some people will have more trouble in making the adjustment than others. Even plugging in a set-top box to an existing analog set can be awfully confusing when you look behind the TV and find that there are a dozen or more different sockets that you could plug various pieces of equipment into—and, of course, it does not always work first time.

I have a friend by the name of Dennis. Dennis is on a disability support pension and he does it tough. He lives pretty much from week to week. Dennis was particularly relieved to receive the stimulus payment. He spoke emotionally about how much it meant to him to have a bit of extra money to cover his healthcare costs, let alone buy something extra for himself. But Dennis particularly likes to watch TV; it is probably his only real outlet. His friends fall into the same category and are also on the disability support pension. They talk quite regularly about their fear of maybe not being able to watch TV anymore—and I can understand why. For quite a long time, Dennis has been at me—and I am sure that many people like him have been at other MPs as well—about some allowance being provided to people like him. On a very low income and struggling to make ends meet, Dennis still wants to be able to watch TV once the digital switch-over comes along.

Dennis never has a spare dollar—that is true—but every time he comes to see me he has an issue, and this is one that has stuck with him for a long time. Although it might seem like a small expense to some, it is not a small expense to people like Dennis. A set-top box can be bought from a place like JB Hi Fi for $49 and from some supermarkets for even less; but, again, that is a step too far for some people. So I am quite proud to be part of a government that listens to people like Dennis—the battlers who enjoy watching TV but who cannot afford things that the rest of us might not think too long about purchasing. I am part of a government that is aware that for some people change is difficult and that there will be those who will need help with the installation. The research tells us that those who have made the changeover themselves did not find that process overly daunting. However, for some people the idea of changing over anything electrical creates anxiety, and I am happy to reassure them that we will provide the necessary assistance to help them make the change. People who are eligible for assistance under this bill will be provided with all the help that they need to watch digital TV. They will receive a high-definition set-top box, cables and antennae and all the technical assistance they require so that they will be able to watch TV—that is, someone will come to their home and install it for them. They will be able to enjoy a better picture, better sound quality and also improved reception. I hope that they also enjoy the extra channels. Of course, the best thing is that it is free transmission. I commend the bill to the House.

Jamie Briggs (Mayo, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise this evening to speak on the Social Security Legislation Amendment (Digital Television Switch-over) Bill 2009. I am sure the Deputy Speaker will appreciate the areas in my electorate that I will talk about in my remarks. As many on this side know, I am a big supporter of digital television. It has a lot of benefits for the Australian people. As we already see, it provides additional and higher quality content, particularly for those of us who love their sport. Anyone who gets the opportunity to see the AFL covered on Channel 7’s HD channel on Friday nights will acknowledge how the quality is so much better than watching normal analog or indeed digital TV—you can actually tell the difference. A couple of years ago, when I first had a high-definition television set at home, Channel 10 was covering the US Masters in high definition for the first time. I think it was the tournament where Tiger Woods’s ball sat on the edge of the hole and you could see the dimples. It was quite extraordinary for those of us who like that type of thing.

I am a big supporter of high-definition and digital TV. It has a lot of benefits, including freeing up the spectrum. One aspect of this debate that we should acknowledge, and which the previous government acknowledged too when it was looking at the digital switch-over, is that the government will benefit significantly from the sale of the spectrum that it will get out of the switch-over to digital TV. Digital uses a very small amount of the current spectrum used by analog TV. It will be quite a boon for the government when it is able to have its spectrum auction at some point in the future when it has switched all Australians over from analog TV or the joint service at the moment to purely digital.

It is right that the government does help Australians, particularly those at the lower end of the income scale, to switch over to digital TV. I think that in the future we will see more assistance given to this area. In my previous role I had a little bit to do with the government’s views on the digital switch-over. I was always of the view that the government would be required at some point to help those at the lower end to switch over to ensure that we had a safe and successful switch-over to digital TV without too many missing out on the television programs which they love and have grown accustomed to. Taking away coverage of the Crows in Adelaide, as the Deputy Speaker knows, would be quite a step for government to undertake.

But we should not just help people on the lower scale of income; we must look at the areas which have traditionally found getting TV reception difficult. My electorate of Mayo has two such areas. One in particular is the District Council of Yankalilla, which this morning Mark Day in the Australian wrote extensively about. Led by the mayor, Peter Whitford—a great fighter for the Yankalilla area—the council down there have been raising this issue about how they are treated in the switch-over for some time now. They currently only have analog towers, and traditionally they have had significant problems because of the topography of the area. The Fleurieu Peninsula, in my electorate, is one of the most beautiful parts of Australia. It is very hilly and it has significant issues; in fact, parts of the Fleurieu Peninsula are just impossible to get TV and mobile reception to, no matter how much the government has looked at it over the years. The drops are too significant to actually get the signals through, particularly down near Inman Valley, so satellite will always be an answer there. However, for a large part of this area, which is not well populated—it is a small district council and faces the financial constraints that small district councils face—it is a different story. The government should, and must, step in and help the District Council of Yankalilla in upgrading their towers to be digital-ready towers in preparation for 2013, when the Adelaide switch-over will occur.

What is happening at the moment is that, because of the attention rightfully given to the switch-over, significant numbers of people are purchasing digital set-top boxes or digital ready televisions and are getting home and expecting to see the benefits of digital TV but of course they cannot because there is no digital signal. It is very important that the government—and I urge Senator Conroy and those on the other side to consider this—provide an assistance package for these sorts of regional areas, largely, who are facing these challenges. I think it is important, for the integrity of the switch-over, that we help in areas in which people find difficulty in coming up with the financial resources needed for the digital switch-over. It might not just be those on lower incomes who require assistance, but many people might require assistance to upgrade.

The other area in my electorate that suffers similar problems is Gumeracha, which is in the northern part of my electorate. Recently quite a bit of attention has been raised about the problem, and I have written to the minister raising this issue with him. It is an area which has traditionally suffered poor analog reception and in the past the local council has had to assist. Again, the cost of upgrading to digital is significant. There are quite a few people in the township of Gumeracha affected by this and, again, what is happening is that they are buying the digital TV sets or the digital set-top boxes and then finding, when they get home, that they cannot use them. This is 36 kilometres from the city of Adelaide. It is not that far away.

For the integrity of the switch-over, to show people the benefits of digital, we should be ensuring that those in areas that have traditionally had problems with getting TV signals should receive any assistance that is needed. That is an important aspect that the government should be considering right now. I would hate to see the government just suck it and see, and wait until the very last minute for these communities to raise issues. As they are lower income members in our community, the government should act early and offer assurances to the community of Gumeracha and the community of Yankallila that they will get some assistance in upgrading their towers to digital-ready TV status shortly. Television is now such an important part of all of our lives that to leave some Australians, particularly those in my electorate, without the benefit of digital TV, or indeed without the benefit of TV, would be a disaster. I urge the government to consider this in the next little while and not wait until they have seen the first results from Mildura and other parts of the country. They know there is a problem; they should act on the problem. In the scale of things, the cost is not significant, but for these local communities the cost is absolutely significant. The federal government can and should help out in these areas.

Kirsten Livermore (Capricornia, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am pleased to give my support, as other members have done, to the Social Security Legislation Amendment (Digital Television Switch-over) Bill 2009. As we all know, all free-to-air broadcasters are preparing for the complete changeover from analog to digital broadcasting. We will see a complete switch-over by the end of 2013. I am sure everyone agrees that that will come very quickly when we are talking about a change of this magnitude. This legislation is about preparing regional communities, and in particular pensioners, carers and veterans, to ease them through the transition.

Two things are abundantly clear in the story of switching over to digital television. The first is that digital broadcasting is an important tool for driving Australia into the 21st century. The second is that there are costs involved in implementing the change—and they are unavoidable costs for members of the public. For individuals, this cost can be as low as $30 or $40 for a basic set-top box. These set-top boxes simply adapt current televisions to digital and open up the full suite of digital options. Nonetheless, this legislation is about making sure that pensioners, carers and veterans are able to make the change and receive the support they need to do so. This bill is about balancing the need to switch off the old analog system and replace it with digital against the need to make sure lower income households are neither burdened with a financial strain that they cannot carry nor left facing unnecessary confusion.

This bill will deliver an assistance program to households in regions that will make the switch from analog to digital television between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2011. A household will qualify for the program when one or more residents is in receipt of the maximum rate of the age pension, disability support pension, carer payment, Department of Veterans’ Affairs service pension or income support supplement. The program will provide and install a high definition set-top box and also undertake any remedial upgrade to the household’s cabling or antenna, where it is required, at no cost to the recipient. That is very good news to lower income households on those pensions and support payments.

I have had a bit of a taste of just how much awareness, interest, confusion and concern there is out there in the community about the advent of digital television, particularly in our regional community. By publicising in our local media that I would make available an information kit in my office I have found out that there are definitely sectors of the community that are seeking more knowledge about the implications of the digital television switch-over. After all, for every person in our community with a plasma TV with a built-in digital receiver, there are similar numbers of people with older televisions, who have not yet focused completely on the digital television changes.

Over the last few months my office in Rockhampton has been receiving ongoing calls from community members wanting to know more about digital television, which is coming very soon. With the changeover being in the media more this year and with the imminent trial in Mildura, Victoria, the number of calls increased. I have also been asked to speak at a meeting of the National Union of Retired Workers, led by Jim Lawler and Dale Langford, who are very active in my electorate. They have also been putting the case to me on behalf of the pensioners and retired people whom they represent. With this in mind, I put together a short booklet detailing the digital changeover, as per the time frame set down by the Australian Communications and Media Authority. I publicised this booklet in our local media, and the number of calls from people seeking this booklet and its information was quite incredible. We had dozens of people requesting this information. They all had questions. They all wanted to know what digital television would mean to them, how it would affect their viewing, what sort of equipment they would have to purchase and when they would have to purchase it by.

Without being too general, far and away the biggest demographic of callers was the elderly in our community. These people are in the demographic that this bill protects the most, and rightly so. The whole exercise with this digital television booklet was a perfect example of why legislation like this is so important. After all, we are talking about a bigger change to television than that which took place with the change from black and white television to colour television, which I am sad to say I remember very vividly as a young child. It is all feeling like a very long time ago, I am sad to say. This type of information, along with the current, successful ad campaign from the Australian Communications and Media Authority and the new labels on televisions in stores, is helping consumers as we move to the digital television changeover.

So whether someone is young or old or whether they are tech-savvy or not, the government is doing its best to make sure that it is providing current and clear information. There are already wide sectors of the community in my own electorate in central Queensland who have embraced digital TV. But this legislation is for those who are in receipt of pensions, carers payments and DVA payments, who are probably among those in the community who still have a lot of questions and a lot of confusion and who are thinking twice about what these changes mean and whether digital TV is something that they can afford to get involved in—and of course the answer is yes.

It is critical that this bill secures passage through parliament now. The deadlines set down for digital changeover are fast approaching, and the test case for the changeover in Mildura, Victoria, is due in just a few months, in August and September of this year. We need to make sure that this legislation kicks off in July this year so that the country and those communities at the sharp end of this change are prepared—and after that, of course, the rollout will happen across the country in the next couple of years.

The progression will be gradual. That is obviously a sensible way to roll out the change when we are talking about something of this magnitude, as it will affect almost each and every Australian household. The rollout is starting in Mildura, and then it moves to regional South Australia and other parts of regional Victoria, followed by regional Queensland. This includes areas in my electorate, which will switch over between 1 July 2011 and 31 December 2011. As I said before, all up, the digital changeover will be complete by the end of 2013. But for people in my electorate 2011 will be upon us quicker than we realise.

As we heard in the second reading speech made by the Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Children’s Services, the timing is so critical because Centrelink needs the legislative authority to be able to use protected information that it holds regarding recipients of the payments I have already mentioned. In addition, Centrelink needs to be able to provide information about qualified customers to the contractors engaged to supply the Digital Switch-over Household Assistance Program. This is an important part of the bill and the time frame that we are talking about, because these amendments will ensure that Centrelink and the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy do not breach the confidentiality provisions of the social security law. They will allow Centrelink to use information currently within their systems to advise customers of their qualification for, and to invite them to participate in, this program. Information supplied to contractors will be limited to that strictly necessary for the implementation of the program.

It is worth noting, so soon after the budget, that this legislation is just one demonstration of the many ways this government is committed to helping pensioners, carers and veterans. The government has just delivered a budget with the broadest reforms to the pension since it was introduced 100 years ago. The government has taken those steps in the budget in response to the Harmer report, which highlighted what many of us who work in the community have known for some time—that, for many pensioners, the rates of the pension have not been enough to meet the rising cost of living for some years. In response to that, the government, in the budget a couple of weeks ago, provided for an increase to singles on the full rate of the pension of $32.49 per week. An increase of $10.14 per week is also available to couples on the pension. This legislation is one more way that we can take some pressure off pensioners and recognise that they do need assistance with the cost of living.

Australia is one of many countries changing from analog to digital television. In Europe, Sweden and the Netherlands have already changed and countries such as the UK and Germany are embarking on the change. Digital television is about more than just sharper images and clearer sound, although these are of course two of the biggest and most obvious benefits. Digital television is about options. It will allow for an increased number of channels and different viewing sizes to cater for different sized televisions. It will allow greater flexibility for people to watch their favourite shows, as evidenced already by ABC2, where a large number of ABC shows are shown at different times of the day. There are plenty of people in Capricornia who work irregular hours and shifts, especially in the mining industry but also in the health and emergency services sector—and, of course, not forgetting our farmers. I am sure they will be pleased to have this increased flexibility when it comes to making sure they can watch their favourite shows.

While this legislation deals largely with more elderly sections of the community, it will also cover carer payment recipients, some of whom have children. This will be of benefit to those families. But, beyond that, digital television is set to be a big win for families in other ways. I was pleased to see just last month the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy announce our government’s commitment to a dedicated ABC children’s digital TV channel. It will offer high quality, educational, commercial-free viewing options for families, broadcasting children’s content for 15 hours a day and offering interactive and online content. As a parent of two young children, I can testify to the value of such a channel. It was an idea put forward in the 2020 Summit and backed up with funding in the budget earlier this month. As announced in the budget, the government will provide the ABC with $136.4 million in new funding over the next triennium to support the children’s channel and also to increase Australian drama content on the national broadcaster.

There is another way in which I hope digital television will benefit the communities in my electorate and that is through the establishment of our own community television broadcaster. As I understand it, the switch to digital and the turning off of the analog signal will free up a significant amount of spectrum that will be able to be used for additional services. One possibility is the introduction of community television in areas where that has not previously been available. I am pleased to say that already there is a group in central Queensland led by Brad Keyworth and David Anderson that is putting together just such a proposal for our area. Brad and David have turned their considerable industry expertise toward the development of a channel devoted to telling our local stories. It has been a long journey for Brad and David and their committee and there is still a long way to go. But there is tremendous support for their initiative across the community as evidenced by the backing they have received from local councils and business sponsors. I will continue to work with Brad and David and the people associated with CQTV as they negotiate their way through the technical processes involved in spectrum allocation and, ultimately, in their application for a broadcasting licence. It is a very exciting initiative and one that I fully support.

In the meantime, the government has clearly signalled that it recognises the importance of locally based media production in regional areas. We need a way to communicate our own local stories to the people of our region and also to distribute them to a broader audience. So I was very pleased to see in the budget the additional money—$15.3 million over three years—under the Rural and Regional National Broadband Network Initiative which will deliver more than 50 enhanced ABC local broadband hubs in regional Australia. According to the minister in his announcement of this program, the ABC will:

… encourage and assist the development of user generated content and create online avenues for local communities to connect and collaborate. The ABC will establish community websites and portals, and create ‘virtual town squares’ for communities to share experiences.

That is something that I think will be very popular in my area. I can see that there will be quite a big take-up and participation in that kind of interactive media production. The teams at the ABC in Rockhampton and Mackay are very well connected in our local community and are the right people to encourage the kind of participation and collaboration that that funding will facilitate and promote. It will enable local people in central Queensland to generate stories and take part in being able to tell our own local stories for a local audience.

There is no doubt that this is a big change. It is one that will be welcomed by all in the community and it is very important. The government has recognised the importance of making sure that everyone in the community can participate in this change and can derive the benefits and not feel that they are being excluded in any way on the basis that they are on low or fixed incomes. This bill has my strong support and I encourage those people in my community who continue to have questions about digital television as we embark on this journey towards the changeover in central Queensland to keep in touch and make sure that they are availing themselves of all the assistance and all the information they need.

Sid Sidebottom (Braddon, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am very pleased to make my contribution to what is a really important piece of legislation that will affect many thousands of households throughout Australia. The Social Security Legislation Amendment (Digital Television Switch-over) Bill 2009 is aimed at making that switch-over a little easier for people who are in need, and I know there are a lot of people in need who will benefit very much from the switch-over. As is the case in your electorate, Mr Deputy Speaker Secker, people in my electorate have TV reception problems. These problems are not just with digital—that is the future for a lot of people—but even with analog. I know that you and I have discussed this over many years in our friendship and in our relationship over the course of a number of committees. I remember it being an issue in our first committee following election to parliament in 1998. The whole area of being able to receive television reception in hard-to-receive areas was very much an issue then and it will still be an issue with the digital switch-over.

I hope that the template your government brought to bear in terms of black spots will be one that we will be able to adopt. Good policy, no matter who introduces it, should be followed. I congratulate the former government on that. My electorate, in particular, was a beneficiary of a number of black spot programs for isolated areas and for those areas with hard-to-get TV reception. So there is a good template, and I have spoken to the current Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Conroy, who is cognisant of these issues and wants to assist. I think good work has been done in the past but we need to continue that into the future.

This legislation is about amending the Social Security (Administration) Act 1999. It is designed to allow information to be passed on to relevant authorities so that they can go about assisting people in the switch-over arrangements. That is the nub of this. I understand that the act, as it currently exists, is applicable to certain areas of government assistance but is not at the moment relevant to social security in giving permission to the relevant communications authority. It is, I believe, relevant to date with regard to information that has been relevant to people affected by this information.

Who are we trying to help? We are trying to help people in need and, as many of my colleagues have pointed out, pensioners are in need. I was very pleased to note, along with my colleagues of course and no doubt those opposite, that pensioners, particularly single pensioners, were able to get a much-needed rise in the pension, as were pensioner couples. On top of that are the other allowances that are going to flow from it, so I was really pleased about those changes. This legislation is designed to help those on an age pension, those on disability support pensions, those on carer payments and those on the Department of Veterans’ Affairs service pension or the income support supplement. They are people who will benefit from assistance in the switch-over, and the switch-over is meant to be complete by the end of 2013.

I was very pleased to contribute to the debate on our earlier legislation, the Broadcasting Legislation Amendment (Digital Television Switch-over) Bill 2008, amongst, I must say, a lot of late night mayhem particularly caused by some of those opposite. Their shadow spokesperson, Mr Billson, has been an advocate of good TV services in Australia—

Patrick Secker (Barker, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Dunkley.

Sid Sidebottom (Braddon, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Of course, Mr Deputy Speaker; I thought I said that. People were raising some issues in relation to that legislation, particularly in respect of black spots. I was happy to talk about that as well. Anyway, it is now mandated that the digital rollout should occur before the end of 2013. That will be particularly the case for Tasmania. I look forward to that because, the way things have been rolled out until now, quite frankly we could be waiting forever. I have people on the west side of Burnie who unfortunately have been waiting and waiting and waiting for digital signals. It is so slow that I assume we will end up with the next technology rather than wait for the old system. Of course, these people are eagerly awaiting digital television.

Digital television is quite a remarkable technology. We have a choice—we have standard definition or high-definition, widescreen pictures, high-quality audio and surround sound, multichannel programming, electronic program guides and closed captioning of programs, which is of particular benefit for the hearing impaired. These are terrific options resulting from digital television. How do you get this digital television? For the uninitiated and for the record, you can add a standard definition set-top box, as many have done. Some are even adding a high-definition set-top box. Or you can connect a personal videorecorder, or PVR. Finally, purchasing an integrated digital TV seems to be the go at the moment.

My only experience with digital television, apart from in Parliament House, has been through pay TV. I must say the difference in quality between that and analog is remarkable. It really is a different viewing experience with both the audio and visual service. It is something that people believe is part and parcel of the 21st century and it should be available.

This government, in its wisdom, is now carrying out a trial of digital television and is doing a switch-off, if you like, from analog to digital between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2011, in certain areas. In the first half of 2010, the switch-over will take place in the Mildura-Sunraysia TV licence area. From what I understand, the Mildura region itself already has 70 per cent digital TV take-up. That is fantastic. Out of interest, I believe 42 per cent of households in Australia already have at least one digital-ready TV, according to ACMA. So digital is on the move. In the second half of 2010, the regional South Australian TV licence areas will come online; in the first half of 2011, regional Victorian TV licence areas will come online; and, in the second half of 2011, it will be the turn of regional Queensland TV licence areas. I could have said I lobbied very hard for my region to be first, but we were receiving too many other things, so all these benefits are initially being distributed across other areas. The important thing here is that these are trial regions. One good thing about trialling this in Victoria is that we will benefit from the lessons learned in that digital switch-over. All this will help regions like mine when we finally switch over.

I mentioned before why we need to change the legislation. I have now found the reference. From what I understand, the current confidentiality provisions contained in section 202 of the Social Security (Administration) Act provide that protected information can only be obtained, recorded, used or disclosed for the purposes of social security law, the Farm Household Support Act 1992, the Dental Benefits Act 2008 or the Family Homelessness Prevention and Early Intervention Pilot. So, quite rightly, before information and records are used to provide information for people to benefit from what will be an entitlement, this change in legislation is necessary. Anyway, that is what this legislation is intended to do.

How will we help people that are eligible, those whom I mentioned before? It will all involve help through the provision and/or the installation of any or all of the following. For the record these are set-top box, cables and antennas, to name the three major areas. So I am very pleased to make my contribution to this switchover legislation and I thank the government for assisting those who will need this help. I look forward to the trials being rolled out throughout the rest of Australia. I remind everyone that, according to ACMA, apparently there are 19 million television sets in Australia today—so what are we going to do with them when we are finished with them?

James Bidgood (Dawson, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the  Social Security Legislation Amendment (Digital Television Switch-over) Bill 2009. The government has announced that all free-to-air television broadcasters in Australia will complete the switch from analog transmission to digital-only transmission by the end of 2013. Television will change from analog to digital, and digital television will provide the benefits of improved picture and sound quality and greater program choice. Digital switch-over is important for all Australians as it will not only provide access to a better picture and sound quality and to additional channels but will also free up spectrum which can be used for the delivery of new and improved broadcast and communications services. It is our commitment through this bill and through its service and funding commitments that no-one be left behind in the changeover. It is the aim of this bill that the changeover will occur with as little disruption to free-to-air television services as possible and to those who are most vulnerable to the potential cost of change.

Television is a common part of most of our lives. It informs and entertains. We watch news and current affairs, sports programs, movies, children’s programming, gameshows and sitcoms—a bit of everything really. Most channels go 24 hours a day. We have a range of channels to choose from on our commercial networks and the promise of more to come with digital technology is something that I believe many constituents await with anticipation. The technology in which television will be delivered is changing and digital broadcasting will be universal to all TVs by 2012, or in three years time.

The bill amends the Social Security (Administration) Act 1999 to enable the implementation of the Digital Switch-over Household Assistance Program as part of the government’s commitment to deliver an assistance program to households in regions due to make the switch from analog to digital television between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2011. A household will qualify for the program where one or more residents are in receipt of the maximum rate of any of the following payments: age pension, disability support pension, carer payment, Department of Veterans’ Affairs service pension and the income support supplement.

The government understands that switching to digital television will be a straightforward and inexpensive task for the vast majority of Australians—however, not for all. Most new TVs are digital ready, and set-top boxes to decode the digital signals are often inexpensive and are getting cheaper as more come onto the market and competition kicks in. However, some viewers will need practical, in-home assistance to make the switch to digital, and the government wants to help.

We will aim to have no-one left behind by this technological scheme. The digital switch-over household assistance package will involve the provision and/or installation of any or all of the following: first, set-top boxes; second, cables; and, third, antennas. Legislative authority is required to enable Centrelink to use protected information to identify and contact people qualified for the Digital Switch-over Household Assistance Program. This is essential to ensure we give everyone the opportunity to switch over. In addition, Centrelink needs to be able to provide information about recipients of those payments, with their consent, to the contractors engaged to supply the Digital Switch-over Household Assistance Program. We are a government that understands the need for safeguarding personal, confidential information disclosed to contractors, and the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy will be limited to that strictly necessary for the implementation of the Digital Switch-over Household Assistance Program. Contractors will not receive specific information about the customer’s age, payment type, disability or marital status.

This program is funded appropriately, with $11.3 million in 2009-10, $31.1 million in 2010-11 and $29.8 million in 2011-12. With Queensland switch-over rolling out between 1 July 2011 and 31 December 2011, that means over $30 million will be available to assist Queenslanders with the changeover. This is good news—good news for the communities in my seat of Dawson, from Mackay, Proserpine, the Whitsundays, Bowen, Ayr, and the Burdekin to Oonoonba and south Townsville. I commend the bill to the House.

Jenny Macklin (Jagajaga, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would like to first of all thank all members for their contribution to the debate on the specifics of the Social Security Legislation Amendment (Digital Television Switch-over) Bill 2009 and also on the broader topic of the switch-over to digital TV. The specifics in this bill, insofar as they relate to information for pensioners to help them with the switch-over, are within my portfolio, but the broader policy responsibility for the switch-over resides with the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy. I will certainly ask the minister to examine the issues raised by members during today’s debate and respond to each of you accordingly.

This bill will amend the Social Security (Administration) Act 1999 to facilitate the Digital Switch-over Household Assistance Program. This results from the government announcing a timetable detailing the region-by-region switch from analog transmission to digital transmission for free-to-air television broadcasters in Australia. We do expect that the switch-over will be completed by the end of 2013.

Some households, of course, will need to obtain new equipment so that they can receive digital television broadcasts. It ought to be a straightforward and inexpensive task for the majority of Australians, but some viewers may require practical, in-home assistance with the installation of necessary equipment. As a result of that, the government have announced that we will commence an assistance program in regions switching from analog to digital transmission between 1 January 2010 and 31 December 2011, to make sure that Australians requiring in-home assistance are not disadvantaged. These regions are the television licence areas of Mildura-Sunraysia in regional Victoria, regional South Australia and regional Queensland. The switch-over in these initial regions will provide valuable information to improve the switch-over for the rest of Australia.

The amendments proposed in this bill will enable the Digital Switch-over Household Assistance Program to be provided to households in these regions. The legislation will allow Centrelink to use information it holds regarding recipients of age pension, disability support pension and carer payment to determine qualification for the Digital Switch-over Household Assistance Program. Additionally, Centrelink needs to be able to give the information about qualified Centrelink customers to the contractors selected to provide the Digital Switch-over Household Assistance Program. The amendments will allow Centrelink to use information currently within their systems to advise customers of their qualification for, and to invite them to participate in, the Digital Switch-over Household Assistance Program.

The Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy and their contractors will be provided only with the information that is strictly required for the carrying out of the Digital Switch-over Household Assistance Program, and strict procedures and appropriate precautions will be in place when handling a customer’s personal information. Specific information about the customer’s age, payment type, disability or marital status will not be provided. I commend the bill to all members and once again thank everybody for their contribution.

Question agreed to.

Bill read a second time.

Ordered that the bill be reported to the House without amendment.