Nationals clash with NSW government over motion that 'guts' regional media funding support

Australian Community Media

The motion was introduced by Nationals Legislative Council MP Sarah Mitchell, and discussed in parliament with agriculture minister Tara Moriarty.

Transcript

00:00The NSW Government continues to spend the vast majority of taxpayer-funded advertising

00:04dollars on the very social media platforms that they acknowledge are destroying the fabric

00:08of our communities.

00:09End quote.

00:10Our local community regional newspapers provide vital advertising platforms for our small

00:16businesses.

00:17And they can also help promote tourism by showcasing regional attractions, community

00:21events that are coming up, food festivals, our country shows, farmers markets.

00:25They are a key role in giving a voice to local concern and interest.

00:28But one thing that we know is that the numbers of these regional newspapers, unfortunately,

00:34is heading downwards.

00:35And I'll speak in a minute about some of the publications that we have no longer got in

00:40our country towns and cities.

00:42But our concern, of course, is that this government is not doing enough to support these regional

00:46newspapers.

00:48We know before the election, Labor put in some PBO costings, announcing that they were

00:53going to double the regional media fund, which had actually started under our government,

00:58from $3 million to $6 million.

00:59They were going to put a further $3 million in for advertising in regional print media.

01:03And print media is the key here, Mr Deputy President.

01:07The Labor government has since listed in the budget paper just $3 million for regional

01:11and community newspaper support, which they say will better support regional media in

01:16diversifying and expanding digital content.

01:19But that misses the point, because that is not what people are asking for.

01:22That is not what regional people want when it comes to their new services.

01:25We were in here yesterday debating the bill from the member for Barwon about better communication,

01:30better consultation with people in the regions.

01:32What they want is to have their local rag.

01:34You like your local newspaper.

01:36You want to be able to pick up that print edition, see what's happening, celebrate the

01:39sporting teams who are doing well, the school kids who are achieving.

01:42If it's time for local government elections, the profiles on the candidates, news from

01:46your local MPs as well, advertising for local businesses as well.

01:51That is what people are looking for.

01:53This is what the Country Press Association and also Australian Community Media have been

01:58calling for.

01:59They wrote a letter to the Premier earlier this year, which I raised in estimates, making

02:04the point that they are seeing government advertising spend from the NSW government

02:10in regional newspapers fall by over 40 per cent in the last 12 months.

02:15In the spend prior to the election of this government, the 12 months previously, there

02:19was $2.6 million being invested in government advertising spend in these regional papers.

02:25The first 12 months of this new government was only $1.6 million, so that's a million

02:29dollar hit on the advertising revenue that these papers need to survive.

02:34As I said, in the last two years, we've seen ACM forced to stop printing 16 free community

02:39newspapers.

02:40A further 16 weekly mastheads have disappeared, including Lismore City News, Dungog Chronicle,

02:45Glen Innes Examiner and The Country Leader as well.

02:48That has meant 208 NSW positions have been made redundant by ACM as a result of that

02:53declining ad spend.

02:54That's real jobs.

02:55That's real people.

02:56Now, one of the things that these organisations are asking for, both ACM and The Country Press,

03:03is for the government to commit to having one page of government advertising every week

03:08in every one of these papers.

03:10What that will do will help significantly with the cost of production and distribution

03:15as well.

03:16Not only is it that they can keep the doors open, that it can keep people employed, but

03:20also that local communities can keep getting that local content.

03:23So the cost for a one full page ad for 48 weeks across all 110 of these regional publications

03:29to government would be $9.4 million for the year, which is not a lot when you consider

03:34the government advertising spend.

03:36It would keep these papers open and it would provide important information back to the

03:40community.

03:41Things like when the breast screen van is going to be in town, or the latest road safety

03:44information, or the domestic violence campaign to stop domestic violence happening in our

03:51communities, or whatever the government advertising priority is, can be printed in these regional

03:57papers.

03:58It is really, really important that in this place we back our regional newspapers.

04:02We know that the government spends millions of dollars in advertising money.

04:05Put some of it into these country newspapers, keep the doors open, keep them printing, and

04:09back the bush by your actions and not just your words.

04:12We do support the motion.

04:13I will be moving an amendment though.

04:17We do acknowledge regional newspapers play a vital role in keeping regional communities

04:21informed, providing individuals with a collective voice, and holding people in power, businesses,

04:26organisations, and institutions, including this government, to account on matters of

04:30importance.

04:31Newspapers, and in fact all forms of media, not only inform but provide a platform for

04:35people to voice their opinions, call for change, promote initiatives, inspire achievement,

04:40and to support the community.

04:43We also should not forget about regional radio and television.

04:45We are talking about regional media and providing information to regional communities.

04:49While the ABC is government funded, on private operated stations, local businesses take the

04:54opportunity—sorry, ABC is publicly funded, but private operated stations take the opportunity

05:00to promote their services and products through advertising.

05:04We are all aware of the impact of social media and online media on traditional media-like

05:08newspapers.

05:09These entities have taken away advertising and readership, while cost increases for paper

05:15supplies and transport have put traditional local newspapers under considerable business

05:20pressures.

05:21In August, the Central Western Daily in Orange, the Daily Liberal in Dubbo, and the Western

05:25Advocate in Bathurst stopped publishing weekday print editions, shifting to digital only on

05:30Monday to Friday, with the paper only being printed on Saturday.

05:34The government is best placed to make an informed decision on how to spend taxpayer

05:38funds and is best placed to know what advertising is required, when it is needed, and how much

05:44is required to be effective and efficient.

05:47The government is committed to supporting regional media, and that is why our Regional

05:51Media Fund, which is designed to support innovation and sustainability for regional New South

05:56Wales media, last year funded 2.25 million to 47 regional media organisations.

06:02The government, and I in particular, will have more to say soon about additional support

06:06for regional media, following discussions with organisations such as New South Wales

06:11Country Press, which have been referred to here, to determine the best method of providing

06:14that support.

06:16The amendment that I will move is that the question be amended by omitting paragraph

06:204, through increased government advertising to regional publishers, including significant

06:26and ongoing funding for official advertising in regional mastheads.

06:31Again, we understand the critical role that regional newspapers play as a communication

06:39channel to regional communities, but the government is best placed to determine where the spend

06:44is.

06:45I note the call from regional media.

06:48We have had discussions as a government with them in relation to this, but in relation

06:51to advertising and how taxpayer money is spent, it is taxpayer dollars.

06:57We have a responsibility to make sure that taxpayer dollars are being spent in an appropriate

07:02way, and we do support regional media outlets to be able to get information to the public,

07:08but I will move that amendment.

07:11Can I say at the outset that there is absolutely no way that I will be supporting the amendment

07:15from the government, which effectively takes out the guts of the recommendation of this

07:19motion to say that we want increased government advertising to regional publishers, including

07:24significant and ongoing funding for official advertising in regional mastheads?

07:28The reason why I made sure that that was included in the motion today is because that is the

07:33direct ask that came from ACM and the Country Press Association—I want to acknowledge

07:39the President of the Country Press, Lucy Peart, and Tony Kendall, who is the Managing Director

07:43of ACM—that came in the letter that they sent to the Premier in March this year.

07:48They asked for significant and ongoing funding for official advertising in regional mastheads

07:53in print and online mediums.

07:55What you have had today is this Labor government, and what makes it worse is that the Minister

07:59for Regional New South Wales has come in here and moved an amendment to say, no, we will

08:03cut that and just say we will support you, but we will not actually give you what you

08:07are asking for.

08:08Now, I will acknowledge that, post-estimates, the Premier did meet with representatives

08:14from the Country Press Association and the Australian community media.

08:19I would also like to put on the record, though, that there was a direct quote that came out

08:24of that meeting which was sent to me yesterday from Tony Kendall, from ACM, which says,

08:30I quote,

08:31ACM and the NSW CPA met with the Premier five weeks ago and the matter of increased support

08:35for regional journalism was raised.

08:37The Premier recognised the important role trusted news plays in the wellbeing of communities.

08:41He committed to speaking with the Treasurer to see if increased NSW government advertising

08:46could be directed to regional publishers.

08:48It is concerning that we have no feedback since then, and the NSW government continues

08:52to spend the vast majority of taxpayer-funded advertising dollars on the very social media

08:57platforms that they acknowledge are destroying the fabric of our communities, end quote.

09:01That is not Sarah Mitchell saying that.

09:03That is not the Nationals or those in the Coalition saying that.

09:06That is a direct quote from these regional publishers.

09:09They came and had their meeting with the Premier.

09:10They have heard nothing since, and yet what they get from Labor today is coming in here

09:14to an amendment completely ignoring their request, cutting out anything that actually

09:19requires the government to do anything, and honour their commitment.

09:22They said they would spend more money in these papers.

09:24They are not, and they are falling down one after the other.

09:27Now, the Honourable Sam Faraway talked about what was said in the Blaney Chronicle, and

09:31I just want to add a couple more things from Blaney.

09:33Before Chris Minns became NSW Premier in 2023, Labor promised a greater share of government

09:38advertising, quote,

09:40but in another broken promise, NSW government spending in regional newspapers has in fact

09:44gone backwards under Labor.

09:46And the last lines to long-standing Blaney readers and advertisers, thank you for backing

09:50the Blaney Chronicle if only our federal and state governments cared about local news as

09:54much as you do.

09:55I'm happy to table that document, Mr Deputy President, because it's the regional papers

09:59who know.

10:00It's the voters who know that you guys are letting them down.

10:02You should back this motion as it is, and stand up for country papers once and for all.

Category

Transcript

Recommended