WIA seeks your views on the Radiocommunications Bill 2017

To develop a comprehensive response to the government’s draft radiocommunications legislation, the WIA is calling for input from the radio amateur community – including anyone with an interest in the hobby, but not yet licensed.

The Department of Communications and the Arts released the Radiocommunications Bill 2017 and an extensive package of information on its website right on the eve of the WIA’s Annual General Meeting in Hahndorf, last month. (A Bill is draft legislation, before being debated and agreed in parliament).

The Department is seeking stakeholder feedback, with a closing date for submissions of 30 June 2017 and the WIA’s Spectrum Strategy Committee is in the throes of developing a submission on behalf of the amateur radio community.

It is notable that the objects of the new legislation include arrangements for providing spectrum for public or community purposes.

A single licensing system – parameters-based licensing – is the centrepiece of the Bill. Licences may be issued for periods up to 20 years.

According to the Department, the new legislation seeks to make Australia’s spectrum framework simpler, more efficient and flexible to use and better support innovative communication technologies and services. The proposed legislation is to:

simplify regulatory structures for planning, licensing and equipment regulation;

streamline regulatory processes, particularly for allocating licences;

clarify the role for government, the ACMA and spectrum users;

provide for graduated and proportionate enforcement and compliance tools; and

enable the delegation of functions or powers to eligible Australian corporations.

It is recommended that you download the exposure draft of the Bill and the package of information papers from the Department’s website at this Link

Apart from a “walk-through” explanation of the Bill, information papers of particular interest to radio amateurs – current and prospective – cover the licensing system, equipment rules, interference management, delegation and management rights, and enforcement mechanisms. Some of these are in the form of short introductory fact sheets, produced by the Department of Communications, while more details papers on the same topics have been produced by the ACMA.

When you’re ready to provide your observations and views, go to the WIA Consultation page, which you can access via this Link

Note Sunday 25th June : The deadline has now been extended to 14th of July

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