Condition On Young Person's Amateur Licenses Removed

Recently ACMA has been imposing an additional condition on amateur licences granted to people under age 16.

That condition required the licensee, while under 16, to only operate amateur equipment under the supervision of a licensed amateur over the age of 16.

The WIA immediately objected to the condition, advancing a number of reasons. The reasons included the fact that the condition was inconsistent with the whole object of the Foundation licence and in direct contradiction of the "Outcomes" paper, where it was said �it was decided not to introduce an age limit for operating under the Foundation licensing option�. It is not a condition of the class licence covering CB equipment and so discriminated against amateur licensees who were trained in the relevant safety aspects.

As more licences were issued with the condition, more people became aware of it and expressed their concern to the WIA.

Alan Jordan of ACMA has now advised the WIA as follows: "I refer to representations from the Wireless Institute of Australia about the imposition of a licence condition requiring the operation of Amateur stations by licensees less than 16 years of age to be supervised by a licensed Amateur over the age of 16.

This requirement has been reviewed and I am pleased to advise that the condition will not be applied from this date. Those licences already subject to that particular condition will be reissued in the near future.

Amateur licences will, on application, be issued to any person who demonstrates at examination that he or she possesses the necessary knowledge and skills."

The WIA welcomes ACMA's decision.

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