Nick Xenophon (SA, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

I have some amendments that have, as I understand it, been circulated in respect of this bill.

The TEMPORARY CHAIRMAN: Yes, Senator Xenophon, they have been circulated.

by leave—I move amendments (1) and (2), together, on sheet 7666, standing in my name.

(1) Clause 2, page 2 (table item 4), omit "Schedules 3 to 9", substitute "Schedules 3 to 10".

(2) Page 42 (after line 23), at the end of the Bill, add:

Schedule 10—Material of local significance

Broadcasting Services Act 1992

1 After paragraph 43A(2)(f)

  Insert:

  (fa) Regional South Australia.

I spoke largely to this during my second reading contribution. Essentially, these amendments would require local content in South Australia, because South Australia was never included in the context of broadcasting legislation to have local content and local news bulletins in particular. The legislation did not include Western Australia or the Northern Territory because of a number of regional factors. South Australia lost regional television services in the south-east of South Australia and in the Riverland, but I am completely open as to whether there ought to be additional safeguards in Western Australia. There is quite a different media market there in terms of the size of that state and the population distribution. But this is basically saying that if regional communities had local television content—I know the importance of local coverage in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and Tasmania—they are all covered by the broadcasting act, but South Australia has been omitted. This is about rectifying that. I have had discussions, as recently as yesterday, with Harold Mitchell from Free TV to express my concerns about the need for commercial broadcasters to provide local coverage. I have had discussions with Bruce Gordon, the owner of WIN Television, about this issue as well. Losing their local content has been a real body blow for the communities in the south-east of South Australia, in Mount Gambier and surrounding communities, in the Riverland, Renmark, Loxton, Berri, Barmera and other surrounding communities. Losing their half hour news service has been a real body blow to that community infrastructure and that dissemination of information. This is what these amendments seek to deal with, that is why I am here and that is why I am moving them.