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Telecommunications Government gives new telecoms consumer body a $700k kick-start
Telecommunications Government gives new telecoms consumer body a $700k kick-start | Government gives new telecoms consumer body a $700k kick-start |
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| by Stuart Corner | |
| Tuesday, 02 December 2008 | |
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Page 2 of 2 "ACCAN has already started to identify priority research areas to ensure its position as the authoritative peak telecommunications consumer organisation. I welcome the lead ACCAN is taking on these issues. Strong consumer representation in telecommunications will put pressure on the industry to lift its game and respond better to consumer needs."Featured Whitepaper
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Corbin explained that, of the $700,000 announced this week, $500,000 would be used to ensure that ACCAN is fully-established and ready to start operating on 1 July 2009 and $200,000 for research projects. "Most of the $500,000 will go to set up the ACCAN office, a proper web site, the IT for the organisation. We will have one staff member based in Brisbane, so we will need good IT systems for that." With the research money, Corbin said: "The board is looking at 10 different topics and will meet for the first time on 17 December. They want to use this money to make a big impact for consumers in the short term rather than the long term so there is likely to be a mix of some very specific projects and some that assist with scoping what needs to b done in the future, because the aim is that ACCAN will have an ongoing research agenda and there is provision for that in all the models proposed for funding." If all goes to plan, on 1 July 2009, CTN will cease to exist and ACCAN will have responsibility for administering Government grants presently totalling about $800,000 per year that fund a number of consumer telecoms organisations. The 2009-2010 grants will be allocated by the Department, but after that Corbin said, ACCAN would call for grants for the following year. "Assuming we get the $2 million we will have an independent grants panel none of the ACCAN board members will be on it. We still have to develop the guidelines for the grant scheme but it will have to complement the contract ACCAN will have with the Department. The aim is not to create more bureaucracy for the grants process but less." |
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