Mr HATTON - 1999-02-16
This is a question near and dear to many of us in the Territory, and I would think particularly for the member for Arafura. Territorians are well known for their passion for football, particularly the Australian Rules variety. The recent Australian Broadcasting Authority decision to expand Channel 7’s licence into central Australia means that Imparja will lose the rights to broadcast AFL matches. This in turn will mean that dozens of communities will be unable to view the games unless they spend considerable money on new receiving equipment. Is the minister aware of this problem and is he taking any action, or is the Northern Territory government taking any action, to ensure access to this great game for all Territorians?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I thank the honourable member for that question because in fact it is a matter of great interest to all Territorians. There certainly is no doubt about the passion that Territorians have for Aussie Rules Football. I was disappointed by one of the outcomes of the ABA’s decision to enable Channel 7 and Imparja to expand their services, and therefore Channel 7’s broadcast beam could cover the Territory. While in the long term this decision obviously means that almost all remote communities will have access to 2 commercial channels, it poses an immediate dilemma in that this season’s AFL games will not be seen by many remote communities because Channel 7 has the rights to the AFL, and communities cannot receive that signal without installing extra equipment – and that includes Tennant Creek and Katherine
Mr Coulter: And Old Mount Bundy.
Mr MANZIE: Old Mount Bundy is another example. I think everywhere you look around the Territory, unless there has been specific provision made for receiving the Channel 10 Queensland signal, communities are unable to getthe Channel 7 signal. We are lucky at Tennant Creek and Katherine because the government’s own transmission towers, which presently provide an SBS service to those communities, can be utilised to broadcast the Channel 7 signal after Channel 7 installs the appropriate equipment. I am told that will happen in April and those communities will perhaps miss out on 1 or 2 games, but then they are going to be receiving the signal and getting the games broadcast.
The fact is, however, that the majority of remote Territory communities will not be able to receive the Aussie Rules this year. I have written to the Chairman of the ABA, Professor David Flynn, and I have highlighted the immediate implications of the decision they made in regard to that broadcast signal to remote Territorians.
A member: What about all the rugby league players?
Mr MANZIE: Well, I will get to that in a minute, and obviously they would have a fair bit of concern. I have asked Professor Flynn to review his decision and to work with both Channel 7 and Imparja to reinstate football broadcast in the bush.
Members: Hear, hear!
Mr MANZIE: I have also written to my federal counterpart, Senator Alston, and to the Chairman of the Tiwi, the Northern and the Central Land Councils to ask them to use their contacts and their networks to try to support this approach. I also took the opportunity on the weekend to speak with the Chief Executive Officer of the AFL, Mr Wayne Jackson. When I explained to him what was going to happen, he also shared my concern, and he is going to explore actions he can take to try in his capacity as the CEO to get that signal transmitted.
After just visiting the Tiwi Islands and having a great day there, he was very concerned that if AFL is withdrawn and rugby and soccer get an entree into those remote communities, there may be a change in the long-term playing preferences of many of those young fellows in the bush and the AFL will be the loser
I have also written to the federal Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs, Senator Herron, and I have suggested to him that there is a tailor-made opportunity for funding through the Aboriginal Benefits Reserve, which is a pool of mining royalty money set aside for improving services to remote Northern Territory communities. The fund could be used to purchase and install equipment necessary for the reception of both channels. I have offered the services of the Office of Communications, Science and Advanced Technology to manage that installation.
The member for Arafura is, of course, known throughout the Territory because of his prowess on the football field. I can remember the Grand Final, I think in 1983, when he played for Richmond, I was at a school fete and everyone stopped to watch the match on television. That was the game when the member won the Norm Smith Medal for being the outstanding player on the ground. That sort of coverage was available to all Territorians some 15 or 16 years ago and this year, with all the advances in technology, we won’t see that particular event.
While I appreciate that Channel 7 has a legal right to carry the football coverage, I certainly believe it has an opportunity to show itself to be a good corporate citizen and to ensure that when the ball bounces at the start of the 1999 season our remote communities can be tuned in to their favourite teams in the AFL. I call on everyone to work together to progress this particular issue.
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I thank the honourable member for that question because in fact it is a matter of great interest to all Territorians. There certainly is no doubt about the passion that Territorians have for Aussie Rules Football. I was disappointed by one of the outcomes of the ABA’s decision to enable Channel 7 and Imparja to expand their services, and therefore Channel 7’s broadcast beam could cover the Territory. While in the long term this decision obviously means that almost all remote communities will have access to 2 commercial channels, it poses an immediate dilemma in that this season’s AFL games will not be seen by many remote communities because Channel 7 has the rights to the AFL, and communities cannot receive that signal without installing extra equipment – and that includes Tennant Creek and Katherine
Mr Coulter: And Old Mount Bundy.
Mr MANZIE: Old Mount Bundy is another example. I think everywhere you look around the Territory, unless there has been specific provision made for receiving the Channel 10 Queensland signal, communities are unable to getthe Channel 7 signal. We are lucky at Tennant Creek and Katherine because the government’s own transmission towers, which presently provide an SBS service to those communities, can be utilised to broadcast the Channel 7 signal after Channel 7 installs the appropriate equipment. I am told that will happen in April and those communities will perhaps miss out on 1 or 2 games, but then they are going to be receiving the signal and getting the games broadcast.
The fact is, however, that the majority of remote Territory communities will not be able to receive the Aussie Rules this year. I have written to the Chairman of the ABA, Professor David Flynn, and I have highlighted the immediate implications of the decision they made in regard to that broadcast signal to remote Territorians.
A member: What about all the rugby league players?
Mr MANZIE: Well, I will get to that in a minute, and obviously they would have a fair bit of concern. I have asked Professor Flynn to review his decision and to work with both Channel 7 and Imparja to reinstate football broadcast in the bush.
Members: Hear, hear!
Mr MANZIE: I have also written to my federal counterpart, Senator Alston, and to the Chairman of the Tiwi, the Northern and the Central Land Councils to ask them to use their contacts and their networks to try to support this approach. I also took the opportunity on the weekend to speak with the Chief Executive Officer of the AFL, Mr Wayne Jackson. When I explained to him what was going to happen, he also shared my concern, and he is going to explore actions he can take to try in his capacity as the CEO to get that signal transmitted.
After just visiting the Tiwi Islands and having a great day there, he was very concerned that if AFL is withdrawn and rugby and soccer get an entree into those remote communities, there may be a change in the long-term playing preferences of many of those young fellows in the bush and the AFL will be the loser
I have also written to the federal Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs, Senator Herron, and I have suggested to him that there is a tailor-made opportunity for funding through the Aboriginal Benefits Reserve, which is a pool of mining royalty money set aside for improving services to remote Northern Territory communities. The fund could be used to purchase and install equipment necessary for the reception of both channels. I have offered the services of the Office of Communications, Science and Advanced Technology to manage that installation.
The member for Arafura is, of course, known throughout the Territory because of his prowess on the football field. I can remember the Grand Final, I think in 1983, when he played for Richmond, I was at a school fete and everyone stopped to watch the match on television. That was the game when the member won the Norm Smith Medal for being the outstanding player on the ground. That sort of coverage was available to all Territorians some 15 or 16 years ago and this year, with all the advances in technology, we won’t see that particular event.
While I appreciate that Channel 7 has a legal right to carry the football coverage, I certainly believe it has an opportunity to show itself to be a good corporate citizen and to ensure that when the ball bounces at the start of the 1999 season our remote communities can be tuned in to their favourite teams in the AFL. I call on everyone to work together to progress this particular issue.
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016