Gavin Marshall (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Conroy. Given that in just one week the analog television signal in the Mildura-Sunraysia region will be permanently switched off, making that region the first in Australia to switch to digital-only television under the government’s switch-over timetable, can the minister assure the Senate that the people of Mildura are ready for this historic event?

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am delighted to report that Mildura-Sunraysia is absolutely ready to switch to digital-only television in one week from today. At 9 am next Wednesday, 30 June, I will be in Mildura when we turn off the analog television signal forever. The people of Mildura have, in the space of a couple of years, moved from having some of the worst television reception and the most limited choice of channels in the country to leading Australia in the move to 16 or more channels of clear pictures and crisp sound. Virtually 100 per cent of the households in Mildura are digital ready, according to the government’s digital tracker survey. Over 2,300 households have been helped to convert to digital TV under the government’s household assistance scheme. Broadcasters have also played their part, installing three new transmitters to serve known black spots in Ouyen, Underbool and Robinvale. Local antenna installer Rohan Gregg has described the new Ouyen transmitter as ‘one of the best things we’ve had happen since the great Australian vanilla slice’.

The government has launched a new satellite service to serve viewers in remote Australia and regional black spots. This service is known as viewer access satellite television, or VAST, and it is transmitting in the Sunraysia region today. Steve Petschel, manager of Mildura’s Teletune, has been out installing satellite receivers and told the Sunraysia Daily today:

It’s all going according to plan, so we’re quite confident and looking forward to next week.

(Time expired)

Gavin Marshall (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I thank the minister for his answer and I ask: can the minister tell the Senate more about the satellite service that is being put in place for people in TV black spots? Are people in the Mildura-Sunraysia region signing up to receive the satellite service?

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The government funded satellite service finally provides viewers in remote Australia and regional black spots with the same number of digital channels as are available in the capital cities. It also features a dedicated local news service. This is the first time local news has been available to satellite viewers in regional and remote Australia. The new satellite service is on air in the Mildura-Sunraysia region now and is being warmly received. Patchewollock resident Terry Torney told the Sunraysia Daily this month that the service was great value for remote viewers. As he said:

It’s a one-off payment for the box and card if you’ve already got the dish. Everyone’s prepared to do that because we put up with very substandard TV here for a long time.

The Labor government is proud to have fixed this problem once and for all for people in regional, rural and remote Australia. (Time expired)

Gavin Marshall (Victoria, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Again I thank the minister for his answer and I ask: could the minister remind the Senate why the switch to digital television is so important and what benefits, other than the obvious improvement in picture quality and channel choice, will the switch to digital bring to Australia?

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Marshall for his ongoing interest in the good people of Victoria. The Rudd government is committed to building the infrastructure that will underpin the development of the digital economy. The switch to digital-only television is a crucial measure to support this objective. Spectrum currently used for broadcasting services is highly valued for delivering wireless communications services, including superfast mobile broadband. It is able to carry signals over long distances, penetrate buildings and carry large amounts of data. Once analog television signals have been completely switched off and the spectrum is subsequently cleared of other users, that spectrum will be released as a digital dividend. And releasing the digital dividend is a historic microeconomic reform. It presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to improve communications services in Australia. The Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association has estimated a $10 million bonanza for the Australian economy— (Time expired)