Page 486 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 8 March 2006

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Question so resolved in the negative.

Australian Broadcasting Corporation—funding

MS PORTER (Ginninderra) (4.44): I move:

That this Assembly:

(1) recognises the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s (ABC’s) essential place in the media and broadcasting landscape of the ACT, and the nation;

(2) notes that the ABC is currently under-funded; and

(3) requests that the Chief Minister advises the Federal Government of the Legislative Assembly’s support of the ABC triennial funding submission.

The ABC is currently in the process of negotiating its funding arrangements for the next three years with the federal government. You may remember that Mr Hargreaves raised the matter of the ABC’s funding in March 2003, and I thought it was timely for the Legislative Assembly once again to address this issue and ensure that the ABC has our support during this funding bid.

The ABC is arguably the most important broadcast media outlet in the ACT. It broadcasts local television and news seven days a week and it is the only outlet that broadcasts a local television current affairs program. In 2003 Mr Hargreaves highlighted that ABC Radio Canberra 666 is the only broadcast outlet to provide local content throughout the day. There is nothing more frustrating than listening to some of the pre-packaged and pre-recorded programs that many of the commercial radio stations serve up, particularly in the evening.

As we all know, 666 made a significant contribution during the 2003 bushfires, and its role in any future emergency will be critical. We are already hearing important community announcements regarding emergency warnings and how to recognise them. Members of this place know that when they want up-to-date information on local news events as quickly as possible, they can turn to the ABC. Many community groups use the opportunity to broadcast coming events in person on Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings or file their events on the 666 website.

In its submission to the commonwealth government the ABC clearly identifies coverage of local events in outer metropolitan and regional areas as an area they are looking to build on. A boost to the coverage of events in the ACT can only benefit our community

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