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