91/05
4 August 2005

Telstra’s rural, regional and remote presence assured

The Government today issued Telstra with a licence condition requiring the company to implement and maintain an effective local presence in rural, regional and remote Australia.

The licence condition was jointly announced by the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Senator Helen Coonan, and the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade, Mark Vaile, during a visit to the township of Kendall on the Mid- North coast of NSW.

“This is about giving rural and regional Australia certainty and confidence that regardless of who owns Telstra, there will be a visible and effective Telstra presence in rural and regional Australia,” Senator Coonan said.

“This is part of the future-proofing arrangements as defined by the Estens Inquiry and comprises a core element of the Government’s commitment to ensuring adequate telecommunications services for all Australians, regardless of where they live.”

Mr Vaile said, “The onus is now on Telstra to prepare and maintain a plan that clearly articulates the company’s plans for continuing to serve rural, regional and remote Australia. Telstra must maintain a presence and a commitment to the bush.

“The Government wants more than a marketing document from Telstra, we want a real and quantifiable plan for Telstra’s presence in rural and regional Australia.”

Telstra will now be required to develop an adequate Local Presence Plan which will be open for public comment for at least six weeks and is subject to approval by Senator Coonan. The Minister has issued Telstra with guidance on the objectives the Government believes the Local Presence Plan must meet.

Telstra’s Local Presence Plan must:

• Outline how Telstra intends to maintain an effective local presence in rural, regional and remote Australia;
• Involve consultation with regional, rural and remote customers to ensure their concerns and service requirements are accommodated;
• Focus Telstra’s workforce and management on meeting the needs and interests of their customers; and
• Provide measures that will enable the Minister and the Australian Communications and Media Authority to monitor Telstra’s compliance with the Plan.

Telstra must consider submissions made during public consultation and provide a report to the Minister taking into account stakeholders’ views and explaining their impacts on Telstra’s Rural and Regional Presence Plan.

To help Telstra with formulating its inaugural local presence plan written guidance has been provided specifying matters to be addressed in its plan. The Minister’s written guidance can be viewed and downloaded from. http://www.dcita.gov.au/tel/regional,_rural_and_remote_communications/local_presence/written_guidance