Digital Switchover Legislation Discussion Paper

On 18 December 2007, the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, announced that Digital Switchover would be completed by the end of 2013. The Digital Switchover Taskforce will work with industry and report back to the Australian Government with a comprehensive switchover timetable in the third quarter of 2008.

Existing legislation restricts the Australian Government's ability to implement a flexible switchover process that addresses the various technical and other issues affecting digital switchover in different parts of Australia.

The Department is examining possible legislative change that may be required to implement an appropriately flexible switchover process.

The Legislative framework for implementing a digital television switchover timetable discussion paper therefore seeks public comment on any or all of the following issues.

Switchover instrument: an instrument, made pursuant to legislation, which allows a decision-maker to sign off on the switchover for a particular area.
Timing: switchover dates should be able to be brought back as well as put forward.
Smaller switchover areas: for full flexibility, the switchover instrument could be allowed to be made down to the individual transmitter rather than only by licence area.
Decision-maker: At present, the Governor-General is technically the decision-maker. This could be changed to either the Minister or Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). If the Minister is the decision-maker, should this power be able to be delegated to an officer in the Department?

The Legislative framework for implementing a digital television switchover timetable discussion paper is available in two formats—Adobe pdf, Rich Text Format (rtf).

How to make a submission

Submissions are invited in writing by Friday 4 July 2008.

For information on how to make a submission follow the link to make a submission.

Document ID: 84099 |
Last modified: 8 July 2008, 1:30pm