Speech - Community Broadcasting Association of Australia Conference 2024 - Gold Coast

Hi, I’m Michelle Rowland, Federal Communications Minister.

Thank you for inviting me to say a few words.

I acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the lands you are gathered on – the You-Gam-Be (Yugambeh) people – and the Traditional Owners of the lands that community radio broadcasts from across Australia.

I pay respect to First Nations people attending. 

And thank all the community broadcasters who give First Nations communities, connection to culture, and language a voice and a platform.  

I congratulate you on a very special milestone: 50 years of community broadcasting in Australia.

The Whitlam Government’s move in 1974 to establish this sector was a landmark moment in our history.

What was then referred to as ‘experimental radio licences’ were granted to a handful of community groups.

Five decades on, more than 450 stations reach 5 million Australians each week.

Your sector is vibrant, diverse and it enriches people’s lives. 

It connects communities and gives locals a voice.

On behalf of the Albanese Government, thank you to all the staff and the volunteers for your outstanding contribution to our media landscape.

I also congratulate you on your comprehensive ten-year roadmap, which sets clear priorities to ensure your sector continues to thrive and meet community needs.

Labor has long backed community radio.

The first Bill I presented to Parliament as Communications Minister was to provide a funding boost and on-going certainty for community broadcasting.

This financial year, this translated into $23 million through the Community Broadcasting Program. 

My first visit as a Minister was to a community radio station. 

And I haven’t stopped since.

At every station I visit around the country, I’m inspired by your commitment to serving your audiences. 

And you are well-represented by an industry organisation in CBAA

The Albanese Government is committed to working with community broadcasting to identify a sustainable funding basis for the future.

At last year’s event, I spoke about the importance of the Community Broadcasting Sector Sustainability Review and outlined key findings.

Phase 1 of the review found that while the Community Broadcasting Program delivers positive impacts, grant funding does not adequately promote sustainability and resilience.

The Community Broadcasting Foundation has since actioned key recommendations to better measure outcomes and impact of the Commonwealth funding it distributes. 

I look forward to seeing this translate into outcomes-based funding streams that better align to areas of need, like news, youth engagement and emergency broadcasting.

Phase 2 of the review has gathered views and ideas directly from you – the community broadcasters – on how to build a stronger, more sustainable future.

As part of this, I met with community broadcasters in suburban Sydney, Byron Bay, Cairns and Darwin. 

My Department has held a series of stakeholder roundtables in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Darwin and online. 

What we are hearing is a united call for increased, sustainable funding. 

Alongside diverse views on how to create a sustainable future. 

This includes regulatory changes to reflect the modern broadcasting era, and to afford licensees flexibility in community participation and sponsorship. 

And views on supports that sector bodies, such as CBAA, can deliver to better assist stations with governance and business planning.

Thank you to everyone who participated; I look forward to receiving the Department’s findings and advice by the end of the month.

In establishing the community broadcasting sector in Australia, the then Minister for Media, Doug McClelland, heralded – and I quote - “a new era in the advancement of radio development in Australia.” 

The subsequent Labor Minister, the great Dr Moss Cass, oversaw the national expansion of the experimental radio licences which enabled the sector to grow.

The community broadcasting sector has more than delivered on the vision of the Whitlam Government. 

You are at the heart of every community.

The Albanese Government is 100 per cent committed to supporting the next era of community broadcasting in Australia.

To ensure it is strong, sustainable, vibrant and remains an essential part of our media landscape.