The Hon. M.J. ELLIOTT: I seek leave to make a brief explanation before
asking the Minister for Transport and Urban Planning a question about the
telecommunications roll-out.
Leave granted.
The Hon. M.J. ELLIOTT: Yesterday's Advertiser reported that telecommunications
company Optus was intent on completing its cable roll-out in Adelaide.
This reinforces the need for a proper planning framework to control all
new telecommunications infrastructure. After 1 July last year, State and
Territory Governments gained jurisdiction over the planning requirements
for installing telecommunications infrastructure (such as new mobile telephone
towers and pay TV cabling). Only those cabling and tower constructions
already proposed and begun before July remained immune from State laws
until 30 September in relation to cabling and 31 December in relation to
tower constructions. All other activities were to be regulated by State
laws, which required the South Australian Government to have controls in
place.
Following this, the State Government pledged to imple-ment a
framework to deal with these issues in South Aust-ralia. The then Development
Minister (Hon. Stephen Baker) told the Parliament on 1 July last year:
Now that we have the Federal Government determination, the State
Government will prepare its own regulations to confirm that the installation
of telecommunications infrastructure is building work under the Development
Act.
That was an unequivocal statement from the former Develop-ment Minister.
My questions to the Minister are:
1. In the light of this latest talk about the cable roll-out
continuing, what measures has the State Government taken to classify telecommunications
infrastructure as building work under the Development Act, and what time
frame exists in terms of the regulations that were promised on 1 July last
year?
2. What will the Government do to allay community concerns about
the cable roll-out, and is it aware of the proposed timetable for that
roll-out?
The Hon. DIANA LAIDLAW: I have some briefing notes in relation
to telecommunication towers and cables which outline our obligations in
terms of the Commonwealth Telecommunications Act 1997. I looked specifically
for the progress that has been achieved by the working party that was established
to develop a State policy in the form of a PAR and a change to the regulations.
My briefing notes advise that local government has been consulted on the
form of the proposals and that progress has been made. During the past
month, I have received some advice and, as I said in a letter to the President
of the Local Government Association in recent weeks, we should be able
to advance this issue promptly.
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