Deputy Speaker,

Community radio is a grassroots institution that underpins freedom of speech – which is central to our democracy.

In the Territory – as in other regional, rural and remote areas – it’s the heart of local communities, and the essential way people learn about what’s going on.

Sometimes, it’s the ONLY way.

It fosters a sense of connection.

It helps people share local news, stories, voices, and music that celebrate the best of our diverse and multicultural society.

Every week, 5 million listeners tune in to 450 community-owned and operated radio stations around the country.

That’s massive when you consider that Sydney’s 2GB, which is so popular and influential, gets 600,000 listeners a week.

Community radio gets almost ten times that audience!!

Community radio is especially significant for 1.4 million listeners from non-English speaking backgrounds who listen to broadcasts in more than 100 languages.

That’s why I’m so proud that on 13 May this year, the Australian Labor Party committed to give the community broadcasting sector greater funding certainty.

And that’s exactly what we’ve done, Deputy Speaker.

The Government is giving the Community Broadcasting Program an extra $4 million a year in ongoing funding.

This will take annual funding to over $20 million per year.

And we’re also reviewing the long-term sustainability of the sector to help it thrive and endure into the future.

That’s what this Bill is all about.

We’re going to make the renewal process for community radio licences a non-competitive process to cut red tape for operators.

That means that the regulator ACMA will prioritise the current operator’s renewal application over a proposed new radio service.

This will give certainty to existing licensees, while allowing ACMA to refuse to renew a licence if the licensee’s radio service isn’t meeting a community’s needs.

They will need to be accountable to their communities.

We want listeners around Australia to have continued access to high-quality and locally relevant news.

Community broadcasters faced uncertainty under the former Coalition Government, which ignored their calls for stability and funding.

After all that community radio broadcasters had done for Australians – through bushfires, floods and the COVID pandemic – all they got from the former Coalition Government was a big shrug.

The former Coalition Government ignored the sector’s calls for COVID crisis funding during the pandemic.

It ignored their calls for sustainable future funding. 

Instead of granting the usual four-year top up funding, the Coalition only gave the sector two years, which was due to run out next year.

And the committed funding was due to drop to around $17 million per year over the forward estimates.

Why were they cutting funding from this vital sector?

The Labor Government’s budget commitment will maintain community broadcasting funding, so the sector can continue to support communities with local news, emergency broadcasting, and local content – including Australian music.

This is so important, Deputy Speaker.

In my electorate of Darwin and Palmerston, we have high-quality and much-loved stations such as Territory FM (104.1) an amazing station broadcast out of Charles Darwin University’s Casuarina Campus.

A 2016 survey found that it reached 51% of all people in Darwin, and it has traditionally been the most listened to.

And in September, Territory FM was rated the number one radio station in Darwin overall for the 40-65+ demographic.

Darwin’s 97 Seven (97.7), a Christian community radio that’s doing great work in Darwin and Palmerston, extending past Humpty Doo.

Then we have First Nations Radio (94.5), formally Radio Larrakia, an Aboriginal community radio station broadcasting from Darwin that reaches the township of Jabiru in Kakadu.

They are a culturally appropriate broadcaster, and Aboriginal cultural protocols underpin everything they do.

The radio station’s Aboriginal Language Program does vital work to preserve Aboriginal languages, including Kriol.

For people in Arnhem Land, Yolŋu Radio is a major community media source.

It broadcasts throughout all six major North-East Arnhem Land communities and 15 remote homelands, as well as Darwin and Palmerston.

Across the Territory, I’d also like to shout out to CAAMA Radio in Alice Springs, Katherine FM and Gove FM who all keep their communities connected and informed.

And there are many other community radio stations with large Indigenous audiences across the Northern Territory.

That’s why it’s so important that we protect and develop our community radio stations.

They truly are the heart of communities across our country.

Thanks Deputy Speaker.