{"id":"F2005B00631","name":"Community Radio Licence Area Plan - Tenterfield (Radio) - December 1996","slug":"community-radio-licence-area-plan-tenterfield-radio-december-1996","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":32101,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2005B00631-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-01","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"LICENCE AREA PLAN - TENTERFIELD","sectionType":"part","heading":"LICENCE AREA PLAN - TENTERFIELD","content":"# LICENCE AREA PLAN - TENTERFIELD","sortOrder":0},{"sectionNumber":"DETERMINATION","sectionType":"division","heading":"DETERMINATION","content":"### DETERMINATION\n\nThe Australian Broadcasting Authority hereby makes this plan for the community radio broadcasting service in the Tenterfield area of New South Wales, under section 26(1) of the Broadcasting Services Act 1992.\n\nOne community radio broadcasting service is to be available in the Tenterfield area described at Attachment 1.1 to this determination with the use of the broadcasting services bands. The characteristics, including technical specifications, of the service that is to be available in the area described at Attachment 1.1 is set out in the Schedule and Attachments 1.2 to 1.3 to this Determination.\n\n(Determined by the Australian Broadcasting Authority on 10 December 1996)\n\n  \nSCHEDULE\n\nThe Schedules set out:\n\n-   the category of each of the services that are to be available in that area (column one),\n-   the service licence number which has been allocated to the service, if appropriate (column two); N/A = Not Applicable, as the Broadcasting Services Act 1992 only requires service licences for Commercial and Community services.\n-   the number of transmitters required to transmit the service,\n-   the transmitter specification number which has been allocated to each transmitter (column three),\n-   the identifying number of the attachment where the technical specifications for each transmitter are described (column four). (Each set of technical specifications referred to in the Schedules is an attachment to this determination).\n-   the general area served by each transmitter (column five).\n\n  \nSCHEDULE ONE\n\nLicence Area Plan - Tenterfield- (Radio) - December 1996\n\nLicence Area: Tenterfield RA1\n\n| Community | SL010213 | TS003551 | See attachment 1.2 | Tenterfield |\n| --------- | -------- | -------- | ------------------ | ----------- |\n|           |          | TS004378 | See attachment 1.3 | Tenterfield |\n\n  \nATTACHMENT 1.1\n\nLICENCE AREA FOR SERVICE LICENCE No: SL010213  \nCOMMUNITY RADIO TENTERFIELD RA1, NSW\n\nThe licence area, in terms of areas defined by the Australian Bureau of Statistics at the census of 6 August 1991, is:\n\n|     | Area Description | Persons |\n| --- | ---------------- | ------- |\n|     |                  |         |\n|     | Tenterfield (S)  | 6595    |\n|     | Qld CD 150605    | 93      |\n|     | Qld CD 150606    | 146     |\n|     | Qld CD 150607    | 398     |\n|     | Qld CD 150608    | 81      |\n|     | Qld CD 150609    | 279     |\n|     | Qld CD 150610    | 626     |\n|     | Qld CD 150611    | 675     |\n|     | Qld CD 150501    | 481     |\n|     | Qld CD 150511    | 128     |\n|     | Qld CD 150512    | 336     |\n|     |                  |         |\n|     | Total Persons    | 9838    |\n\nNote:\n\nStandard terminology used by the Australian Bureau of Statistics:  \n\n|     | CD  | =   | Collection District |\n| --- | --- | --- | ------------------- |\n|     | (S) | =   | Shire               |\n\n  \nAttachment 1.2\n\nLICENCE AREA PLAN :\n\nCategory : Community\n\nGeneral Area Served : Tenterfield (NSW)\n\nService Licence Number : SL10213\n\nTECHNICAL SPECIFICATION - FM Radio\n\nSpecification Number : TS10003551\n\nTransmitter Site :-\n\nNominal location : MOUNT MACKENZIE\n\nAustralian Map Grid : Zone Easting Northing  \nReference 56 399200 6781800\n\nSite Tolerance : Refer to Technical Planning Guidelines\n\nEmission :-\n\nFrequency Band & Mode VHF-FM\n\nCarrier Frequency : 107.5 MHz\n\nPolarisation Vertical\n\nMaximum antenna height 40 m\n\nOutput Radiation Pattern :-\n\n| Bearing or Sector (Clockwise direction) | Maximum ERP |\n| --------------------------------------- | ----------- |\n| At all angles of azimuth                | 100 kW      |\n\nSpecial Condition:\n\nThis is an interim specification which will have its frequency replaced by 89.7 MHz due to a power increase. (refer specification number: TS10004378).\n\n  \nAttachment 1.3\n\nLICENCE AREA PLAN :\n\nCategory : Community\n\nGeneral Area Served : Stanthorpe (QLD)\n\nService Licence Number : SL10213\n\nTECHNICAL SPECIFICATION - FM Radio\n\nSpecification Number : TS10004378\n\nTransmitter Site :-\n\nNominal location : MOUNT MACKENZIE\n\nAustralian Map Grid : Zone Easting Northing  \nReference 56 399200 6781800\n\nSite Tolerance : Refer to Technical Planning Guidelines\n\nEmission :-\n\nFrequency Band & Mode VHF-FM\n\nCarrier Frequency : 89.7 MHz\n\nPolarisation Vertical\n\nMaximum antenna height 40 m\n\nOutput Radiation Pattern :-\n\n| Bearing or Sector (Clockwise direction) | Maximum ERP |\n| --------------------------------------- | ----------- |\n| At all angles of azimuth                | 4 kW        |\n\nSpecial Conditions:\n\nThe ABA’s calculations indicate that signal overspill will not exceed 54 dBuV/m with the above technical specification. However, the licensee of this services is reminded of its obligation to minimise signal overspill into neighbouring licence areas in accordance with the Technical Planning Guideline’s.","sortOrder":1}],"analysis":{"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This determination stays within the original, stated purpose: to make one community radio service available in the Tenterfield area and to set the technical conditions for that service. It does not expand the plan beyond that scope; it only specifies an interim and a planned transmitter configuration and defines the licence area by ABS districts."},"complexity_factors":["Short instrument with three attachments","Two transmitter technical specifications (interim and final) creating a conditional change","References to external Technical Planning Guidelines (cross-document dependency)","Use of ABS collection-district list to define licence area (12 listed districts)","Technical parameters include several fields (frequency, ERP, antenna height, polarisation, map-grid coordinates)"],"plain_english_summary":"**What this instrument does (mechanically)**\n\n- The Australian Broadcasting Authority (ABA) establishes a licence-area plan for a single community radio broadcasting service that will serve the Tenterfield area in New South Wales. (Determination; Schedule)\n- It allocates one community service licence identified as SL010213 (also shown as SL10213 in attachments) to the Tenterfield licence area defined by specific Australian Bureau of Statistics collection districts and population totals. (Schedule; Attachment 1.1)\n- It specifies two transmitter technical specifications for the same nominal transmitter site (Mount Mackenzie): an interim FM specification on 107.5 MHz at up to 100 kW ERP (Attachment 1.2, TS10003551) and the final planned specification on 89.7 MHz at up to 4 kW ERP (Attachment 1.3, TS10004378). The plan records antenna height limits, polarisation, map-grid location, and a site-tolerance reference to the Technical Planning Guidelines. (Attachments 1.2–1.3)\n- It places a specific operational obligation on the licensee to minimise signal overspill into neighbouring licence areas, referencing the Technical Planning Guidelines. (Attachment 1.3, Special Conditions)\n\n**Who is affected**\n\n- The community organisation that obtains the community radio service licence for Tenterfield: must operate within the technical parameters (frequency, maximum effective radiated power, antenna height, polarisation) and manage signal overspill as directed. (Schedule; Attachments 1.2–1.3)\n- Residents and listeners inside the defined licence area (the ABS collection districts listed in Attachment 1.1) are the target audience of the service.\n- Nearby licence areas and any other broadcasters that could be affected by radio-frequency interference: they are affected indirectly because the licence places limits and an express obligation to avoid excessive overspill. (Attachment 1.3)\n- The ABA (regulator) retains the role of deciding technical parameters and enforcing the plan; the plan cross‑refers to external Technical Planning Guidelines that the licensee must follow. (Determination; Attachments)\n\n**Why it matters (official purpose and practical effects)**\n\n- The ABA states the purpose as making a community radio service available to the Tenterfield area and setting the technical rules that will govern how that service operates. (Determination)\n- Practically, the plan allocates scarce radio spectrum resource to a non‑commercial community service and fixes where and how that service can transmit (frequency, power, antenna characteristics). Those technical limits determine coverage area, the risk of interference with neighbouring areas, and the capital and operating costs for the licensee (transmitter power, antenna works, site access, frequency planning). (Attachments 1.2–1.3)\n\n**Costs, incentives and trade-offs (testing the claimed purpose against practical effects)**\n\n- Who pays: the licensee bears costs of equipment, installation, ongoing operation and any mitigation required to comply with the overspill obligation. (Attachments 1.2–1.3 imply technical compliance costs.)\n- Regulatory discretion and implementation risk: the ABA set an interim high‑power frequency (107.5 MHz at up to 100 kW) that is to be replaced by a lower‑power planned specification (89.7 MHz at 4 kW). That transition creates implementation complexity and timing uncertainty for the licensee. (Attachment 1.2 Special Condition; Attachment 1.3)\n- Compliance burden: the licensee must meet explicit technical limits (frequency, ERP, antenna height, polarisation) and follow externally referenced Technical Planning Guidelines to minimise overspill. Those references create dependency on additional, off‑instrument rules for full compliance. (Attachments 1.2–1.3)\n- Effects on private enterprise and competition: the plan reserves the service slot in this licence area for a community (non‑commercial) operator. That allocation uses spectrum that could otherwise be used for commercial services; the plan itself does not auction or licence commercial services in the same band here. The immediate effect is to limit commercial entrants for the frequency(s) specified in the plan. (Determination; Schedule)\n- Concentrated benefits and diffuse costs: benefits (a community radio licence and potential local audience capture) accrue mainly to the licensee/operator and its local listeners. Costs (spectrum constraints, potential interference management) are borne by the licensee and potentially by neighbouring licence holders who must be protected from overspill. (Attachments)\n- Potential unintended consequences/substitution effects: setting a relatively high interim ERP (100 kW) and then later moving to a low‑power planned ERP (4 kW) could produce temporary interference patterns, force retuning of equipment, or change the business case for investment; these are implementation risks implied by the two specifications. (Attachments 1.2–1.3)\n\n**Who decides and what behaviour changes**\n\n- The ABA decides the licence area and the technical parameters. The licensee must operate on the specified frequency and within the stated technical limits, and must actively minimise overspill in line with referenced planning guidelines. (Determination; Attachments)\n\n**Operational detail references**\n\n- Licence area and population by ABS collection districts: Attachment 1.1.\n- Interim transmitter specification (107.5 MHz, up to 100 kW): Attachment 1.2 (TS10003551).\n- Final transmitter specification (89.7 MHz, 4 kW) and overspill requirement: Attachment 1.3 (TS10004378).\n\n"},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The document remains tightly focused on its original purpose: establishing technical parameters for a single community radio service in a specific geographic area. There is no evidence of scope creep or expansion beyond the original broadcasting planning intent."},"complexity_factors":["Highly structured but simple format: main determination plus 3 attachments (1.1, 1.2, 1.3)","Minimal defined terms: only explains 'CD' (Collection District) and '(S)' (Shire) in Attachment 1.1","No cross-references to other legislation beyond the enabling provision (section 26(1) Broadcasting Services Act 1992)","Straightforward conditional logic: only one 'interim' condition noting future frequency replacement","Technical content is prescriptive rather than complex: frequency, power, coordinates, and radiation patterns are specified values, not formulas or calculations","Single purpose document: allocates one service licence with two transmitter specifications"],"plain_english_summary":"This document is a **technical planning decision** made by the Australian Broadcasting Authority (now the Australian Communications and Media Authority) that sets up a **community radio station** for Tenterfield in northern New South Wales.\n\n**What it does:**\n- **Allocates one community radio licence** for the Tenterfield area, covering about 9,838 people across the Tenterfield Shire and parts of southern Queensland.\n- **Authorises two transmitters** on Mount Mackenzie with specific technical settings:\n  - An **interim transmitter** at 107.5 MHz with 100 kW power (to be replaced)\n  - A **permanent transmitter** at 89.7 MHz with 4 kW power\n- **Defines the broadcast area** using 1991 census boundaries, including unusual cross-border coverage into Queensland (Stanthorpe area).\n\n**Who it affects:**\n- Residents of Tenterfield and nearby Queensland communities who receive community radio services\n- The future licensee (community radio operator) who must comply with technical conditions\n- Neighbouring broadcasters, as the document includes obligations to minimise signal \"overspill\" (unintended broadcast into other licence areas)\n\n**Why it matters:**\nThis is the legal foundation that allows a community radio station to exist in Tenterfield. Without this determination, the station could not legally broadcast. It also shows how broadcast planning works: frequencies are scarce public resources, so the regulator specifies exact technical parameters (frequency, power, location) to prevent interference between stations."},"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"A positive credit balance is required for all requests, including BYOK, so fallback providers remain available. Add credits at https://vercel.com/d?to=%2F%5Bteam%5D%2F%7E%2Fai%3Fmodal%3Dtop-up to continue.","source":"analysis-cron"}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/community-radio-licence-area-plan-tenterfield-radio-december-1996","history":"/api/acts/community-radio-licence-area-plan-tenterfield-radio-december-1996/history","analysis":"/api/acts/community-radio-licence-area-plan-tenterfield-radio-december-1996/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/community-radio-licence-area-plan-tenterfield-radio-december-1996/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/community-radio-licence-area-plan-tenterfield-radio-december-1996/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/community-radio-licence-area-plan-tenterfield-radio-december-1996/documents"}}