{"id":"F2025L01088","name":"Radiocommunications (Citizen Band Radio Stations) Class Licence 2025","slug":"radiocommunications-citizen-band-radio-stations-class-licence-2025","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":106824,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2025L01088-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-03","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Name","content":"#### 1 Name\n\n This is the Radiocommunications (Citizen Band Radio Stations) Class Licence 2025.","sortOrder":0},{"sectionNumber":"2","sectionType":"section","heading":"Commencement","content":"#### 2 Commencement\n\n This instrument commences at the start of 1 October 2025.\n\n> Note: The Federal Register of Legislation is available, free of charge, at www.legislation.gov.au.","sortOrder":1},{"sectionNumber":"3","sectionType":"section","heading":"Authority","content":"#### 3 Authority\n\n This instrument is made under section 132 of the Radiocommunications Act 1992.","sortOrder":2},{"sectionNumber":"4","sectionType":"section","heading":"Interpretation","content":"#### 4 Interpretation\n\n (1) In this instrument, unless the contrary intention appears:\n\n> accessory, for a CB station, means a thing that is or may be connected, directly or indirectly, to the station, for the purposes of, or in connection with, radiocommunication.\n\n> Note: Example 1: An amplified or power microphone may be an accessory for a CB station.\n\n> Note: Example 2: A protective case is not an accessory for a CB station.\n\n> CB repeater station (short for citizen band repeater station) means a station:\n\n (a) the operation of which is authorised by an apparatus licence; and\n (b) that is operated:\n (i) from a fixed location; and\n (ii) on a channel mentioned in table item 4 or table item 6 of Schedule 1; and\n (iii) for the reception of radio signals from a CB station; and\n (iv) for the automatic retransmission of those signals.\n\n> CB station (short for citizen band station) means a station that is operated on a channel mentioned in a table item of Schedule 1.\n\n> duty cycle: see subsection (2).\n\n> emergency services organisation means each of the following:\n\n (a) the Australian Federal Police or the police force of a State or Territory;\n (b) a fire-fighting, civil defence or rescue organisation;\n (c) an ambulance service;\n (d) the Royal Flying Doctor Service;\n (e) any other organisation whose sole or principal purpose involves securing the safety of persons during an emergency;\n (f) a service for despatching such a force, organisation or service.\n\n> emission mode: see subsection (3).\n\n> Note 1: A number of other expressions used in this instrument are defined in the Act, including the following:\n\n (a) aircraft;\n (b) apparatus licence;\n (c) ART;\n (d) equipment rules;\n (e) inspector;\n (f) interference;\n (g) operate;\n (h) radiocommunication;\n (i) radiocommunications transmitter;\n (j) reception;\n (k) transmitter licence;\n (l) vessel.\n\n> Note 2: Other expressions used in this instrument may be defined in a determination made under subsection 64(1) of the Australian Communications and Media Authority Act 2005 that applies to this instrument, including:\n\n (a) Act;\n (b) AM;\n (c) ARPANSA Standard;\n (d) communication;\n (e) EIRP;\n (f) HF;\n (g) LSB;\n (h) necessary bandwidth;\n (i) pX;\n (j) pZ;\n (k) radio astronomy;\n (l) Radio Regulations;\n (m) spurious emission;\n (n) SSB;\n (o) station;\n (p) UHF;\n (q) USB.\n (2) In this instrument, where a radiocommunications transmitter is operated during a period (the total period), the duty cycle is the ratio of:\n (a) the period the transmitter was operated; to\n (b) the total period.\n\n> Note: The maximum possible value of the duty cycle is 1. The value of the duty cycle will be less than 1 if the radiocommunications transmitter was not continuously operated during the total period.\n\n (3) In this instrument, the emission mode of a transmission made by a radiocommunications transmitter is the designation of the emission worked out in accordance with Appendix 1 (REV.WRC-19) of the Radio Regulations.\n\n> Note: Appendix 1 of the Radio Regulations is titled ‘Classification of emissions and necessary bandwidths’. The Radio Regulations are available, free of charge, from the website of the International Telecommunication Union at www.itu.int.\n\n (4) In this instrument, unless the contrary intention appears, a reference to a part of the spectrum or frequency band includes all frequencies that are greater than but not including the lower frequency, up to and including the higher frequency.\n (5) Unless the contrary intention appears, no condition in in this instrument limits any other condition.","sortOrder":3},{"sectionNumber":"5","sectionType":"section","heading":"References to other instruments","content":"#### 5 References to other instruments\n\n In this instrument, unless the contrary intention appears:\n (a) a reference to any other legislative instrument is a reference to that other legislative instrument as in force from time to time; and\n (b) a reference to any other kind of instrument or writing is a reference to that other instrument or writing as in force, or existing, from time to time.\n\n> Note 1: For references to Commonwealth Acts, see section 10 of the Acts Interpretation Act 1901; and see also subsection 13(1) of the Legislation Act 2003 for the application of the Acts Interpretation Act 1901 to legislative instruments.\n\n> Note 2: All Commonwealth Acts and legislative instruments are registered on the Federal Register of Legislation.\n\n> Note 3: See section 314A of the Act.","sortOrder":4},{"sectionNumber":"6","sectionType":"section","heading":"Class licence","content":"#### 6 Class licence\n\n (1) Subject to the conditions in sections 7 and 8, this instrument authorises a person to operate a CB station to which at least one of subsections (2), (4) or (5) applies.\n\n> Note: This instrument does not authorise the operation of a CB repeater station. Operation of a CB repeater station may be authorised by a transmitter licence.\n\n (2) This subsection applies to a CB station that:\n (a) directly transmits speech to, or audio tones to initiate communication with, another CB station; and\n (b) does so:\n (i) using a frequency mentioned in table item 1, 2, 3, 4 or 6 of Schedule 1 as the carrier frequency; and\n (ii) in accordance with the restrictions mentioned in that table item.\n (3) A CB station to which subsection (2) applies may also be operated for the carriage of speech to another CB station indirectly, by:\n (a) using an internet-based technology or application; and\n (b) not using a frequency mentioned in Schedule 1.\n\n> Note: Example: The connection (otherwise than by radiocommunication) of a CB station to a personal computer, for the carriage of speech over the internet (which may or may not include carriage by radiocommunication), to a second CB station that is connected (otherwise than by radiocommunication) to a personal computer.\n\n (4) This subsection applies to a CB station that:\n (a) transmits radio signals that:\n (i) identify the station; or\n (ii) indicate the geographic location of the station; and\n (b) does so:\n (i) using a frequency mentioned in table item 4 or 6 of Schedule 1 as the carrier frequency; and\n (ii) in accordance with the restrictions mentioned in that table item.\n (5) This subsection applies to a CB station that:\n (a) transmits data to communicate with another CB station; and\n (b) does so:\n (i) using a frequency mentioned in table item 5 of Schedule 1 as the carrier frequency; and\n (ii) in accordance with the restrictions mentioned in that table item.","sortOrder":5},{"sectionNumber":"7","sectionType":"section","heading":"Conditions — general","content":"#### 7 Conditions – general\n\n Limited operation on certain frequencies\n (1) A person must not operate a CB station using one of the following as the carrier frequency:\n (a) 27.065 MHz (HF channel 9);\n (b) 476.525 MHz (UHF channel 5);\n (c) 477.275 MHz (UHF channel 35);\n unless the person operates the station:\n (d) during an emergency or a natural disaster; or\n (e) for the purposes of an emergency services organisation’s response, or ability to respond, to an emergency or a natural disaster.\n\n> Note 1: The use of these frequencies and channels in an emergency is not a substitute for calling Triple Zero using a public telecommunications network.\n\n> Note 2: Emergency services organisations do not monitor these frequencies and channels.\n\n> Note 3: If, in an emergency of a kind mentioned in subsection 49(1) of the Act, a frequency mentioned in this paragraph cannot be used, it is preferable to use one of the following frequencies as the carrier frequency:\n\n> Note: (a) 27.085 MHz (HF channel 11);\n\n> Note: (b) 27.155 MHz (HF channel 16);\n\n> Note: (c) 476.675 MHz (UHF channel 11).\n\n> Note 4: For paragraph (e), the operation of the station may occur in the absence of an emergency or a natural disaster.\n\n No encryption of speech\n (2) A person must not operate a CB station:\n (a) using a frequency specified in subsection (1) as the carrier frequency; or\n (b) to communicate with another CB station through a CB repeater station;\n if the station, whether on its own or with another thing, encrypts speech transmission.\n No operation of altered stations except in certain cases\n (3) A person must not operate a CB station if:\n (a) the station, or an accessory for the station, has been altered after the station or accessory was first supplied by the manufacturer or importer of the station or accessory; and\n (b) the operation of the station is likely to cause interference to radiocommunications; and\n (c) the alteration did not occur in accordance with a direction given under section 9 or section 10.\n No harmful interference\n (4) A person must not operate a CB station using a frequency mentioned in a table item of Schedule 1 as the carrier frequency, if the operation causes harmful interference to radiocommunications of another CB station using that frequency as the carrier frequency.\n Compliance with directions\n (5) A person must not operate a CB station if:\n (a) the person has been given a direction under section 9 or section 10 in relation to the station; and\n (b) either:\n (i) if the direction requires the person to do a thing before operating the station – the person has not complied with the direction; or\n (ii) the person does not operate the station in accordance with the direction.\n No speech on certain frequencies\n (6) A person must not operate a CB station to transmit speech using one of the following frequencies as the carrier frequency:\n (a) 476.95 MHz (UHF channel 22);\n (b) 476.975 MHz (UHF channel 23).\n Identification requirements\n (7) A person must not operate a CB station that transmits radio signals that:\n (a) identify the station; or\n (b) indicate the geographic location of the station;\n with a duty cycle greater than 1/360.\n\n> Note: A duty cycle of 1/360 works out to 10 seconds of transmission in one hour.\n\n (8) A person must not operate a CB station that transmits radio signals that:\n (a) either:\n (i) identify the station; or\n (ii) indicate the geographic location of the station; and\n (b) are in the form of data as a burst appended at the end of a voice transmission;\n otherwise than with a data burst length equal to or less than 400 milliseconds.\n Use near radio-astronomy observatory\n (9) A person must not operate a CB station within 70 kilometres of Inyarrimanha Ilgari Bundara, the CSIRO Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory, located at latitude 26°42′10.4″ south, longitude 116°39′37″ east, if the operation of the station causes harmful interference to radio astronomical observations.\n (10) In subsection (9), latitude and longitude are measured with reference to the geodetic datum designated as the “Geocentric Datum of Australia (GDA94)” gazetted in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette No. GN 35 on 6 September 1995.\n\n> Note: More information on the Geodetic Datum of Australia is available, free of charge, from the Geoscience Australia website at www.ga.gov.au.\n\n Compliance with ARPANSA Standard\n (11) A person must not operate a CB station or a group of CB stations if:\n (a) equipment rules do not prescribe the EME standard for the station, or for 2 or more stations in the group; and\n (b) the station, or group, when operated, does not comply with the basic restrictions for general public exposure.\n\n> Note: If equipment rules prescribe the EME standard for a CB station, see section 160 of the Act.\n\n (12) In subsection (11):\n\n> basic restrictions means the restrictions identified as basic restrictions in the ARPANSA Standard.\n\n> Note: The ARPANSA Standard is available, free of charge, from the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency website at www.arpansa.gov.au.\n\n> EME standard has the meaning given by the:\n\n (a) the Radiocommunications Equipment (General) Rules 2021; or\n (b) if a later instrument replaces those rules and defines the term – the later instrument.\n\n> Note: The Radiocommunications Equipment (General) Rules 2021 are available, free of charge, from the Federal Register of Legislation at www.legislation.gov.au.","sortOrder":6},{"sectionNumber":"8","sectionType":"section","heading":"Condition — transmission of audio tones","content":"#### 8 Condition – transmission of audio tones\n\n A person must not operate a CB station to transmit audio tones for initiating communication with another CB station unless:\n (a) if the CB station uses a frequency mentioned in table item 1, 2 or 3 of Schedule 1 as the carrier frequency– the person only transmits audible audio tones for less than 3 seconds in any period of 60 seconds;\n (b) if the CB station uses a frequency mentioned in table item 4 or 6 of Schedule 1 as the carrier frequency – the person only transmits:\n (a) audible audio tones for less than 3 seconds in any period of 60 seconds; or\n (b) subaudible audio tones.\n\n> Note: Subaudible audio tones are used in continuous tone coded squelch systems, or CTCSS.","sortOrder":7},{"sectionNumber":"9","sectionType":"section","heading":"Direction in relation to CB station — emergencies","content":"#### 9 Direction in relation to CB station – emergencies\n\n (1) Subject to subsection (3), a person specified in subsection (2) (the specified person) may give another person (the recipient) a direction that relates to the operation of a CB station by the recipient.\n\n> Note 1: The direction need not be in writing.\n\n> Note 2: See subsection 133(3) of the Act.\n\n (2) For the purposes of subsection (1), the following persons are specified:\n (a) a member of the Australian Federal Police or the police force of a State or Territory;\n (b) a person specified in paragraph (a) of the definition of officer in subsection 4(1) of the Defence Act 1903;\n (c) an officer of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority who is engaged to work in the Authority’s Joint Rescue Coordination Centre;\n (d) an officer specified in regulations made for the purpose of subparagraph 108(3)(b)(v) of the Act.\n\n> Note: At the time this instrument was made, section 7 of the Radiocommunications Regulations 2023 specified officers for the purpose of subparagraph 108(3)(b)(v) of the Act. The Radiocommunications Regulations 2023 are a legislative instrument and are available, free of charge, from the Federal Register of Legislation at www.legislation.gov.au.\n\n (3) A specified person may only give the recipient a direction under subsection (1) if the person is satisfied that the direction is reasonably necessary to:\n (a) secure the safety of an aircraft or vessel that is in danger; or\n (b) deal with an emergency that involves a serious threat to the environment; or\n (c) deal with an emergency that involves the risk of death of, or injury to, a person; or\n (d) deal with an emergency that involves the risk of substantial damage to, or substantial loss of, property.\n (4) A specified person may give the recipient of a direction (the first direction) under subsection (1) a further direction that:\n (a) varies; or\n (b) revokes;\n the first direction.\n (5) The recipient of a direction under subsection (1) may apply to the ART for review of:\n (a) the direction; or\n (b) a variation of the direction.","sortOrder":8},{"sectionNumber":"10","sectionType":"section","heading":"Direction in relation to CB station — inspectors","content":"#### 10 Direction in relation to CB station – inspectors\n\n (1) An inspector may give another person (the recipient) a written direction that relates to interference to radiocommunications that:\n (a) is likely to be caused by the alteration, installation or maintenance of a CB station, or of an accessory for use with a CB station, by the recipient; or\n (b) is, or is likely to be, caused by the operation of a CB station by the recipient.\n\n> Note: See subsection 133(3) of the Act.\n\n (2) Before giving a direction under subsection (1), an inspector must have regard to the following:\n (a) whether giving the direction is necessary or convenient for the prevention, or minimisation, of interference to radiocommunications;\n (b) the extent to which interference, or the risk of interference, would likely be reduced or removed, if the inspector did not give the direction;\n (c) any other matter the inspector considers relevant.\n (3) An inspector may, by written instrument given to a recipient:\n (a) vary; or\n (b) revoke;\n a direction given to the recipient under subsection (1).\n (4) The recipient of a direction under subsection (1) may apply to the ART for review of:\n (a) the direction; or\n (b) a variation of the direction.","sortOrder":9},{"sectionNumber":"Schedule 1","sectionType":"section","heading":"CB station frequencies and restrictions","content":"#### Schedule 1—CB station frequencies and restrictions\n\n(sections 4, 6, 7 and 8)\n\n In this Schedule:\n (a) the frequencies specified in table items 4 and 5 are the centre frequencies of 25 kHz channels; and\n (b) the frequencies specified in table item 6 are the centre frequencies of 12.5 kHz channels.\n\n> Note: CB stations that have 40 pre-programmed UHF channels are only capable of operation on the UHF channels with 25 kHz bandwidth (specified in table items 4 and 5). CB stations that have 80 pre-programmed channels are only capable of operation on the UHF channels with 12.5 kHz bandwidth (specified in table item 6). Most modern CB stations have 80 pre-programmed channels. The UHF channels with 25 kHz bandwidth have the same centre frequency as some of the UHF channels with 12.5 kHz bandwidth.\n\n```html\n

Item

Sub-item

Column 1

Column 2

Column 3

Carrier frequency (MHz)

Channel

Restrictions

Part 1: HF channels

1

1

27.085

11

The CB station must:

(a) use AM, or an emission mode that begins with F3E or G3E; and

(b) be operated with a maximum transmitter power of 4 W pZ; and

(c) be operated with a necessary bandwidth that is not greater than 6 kHz.

2

1

27.155

16

The CB station must:

(a) use SSB modulation; and

(b) use LSB; and

(c) be operated with a maximum transmitter power of 12 W pX; and

(d) be operated with a necessary bandwidth that is not greater than 3 kHz.

3

1

26.965

1

Either:

(a) the CB station must:

(i) use AM, or an emission mode that begins with F3E or G3E; and

(ii) be operated with a maximum transmitter power of 4 W pZ; and

(iii) be operated with a necessary bandwidth that is not greater than 6 kHz; or

(b) the CB station must:

(i) use SSB modulation; and

(ii) use LSB or USB; and

(iii) be operated with a maximum transmitter power of 12 W pX; and

(iv) be operated with a necessary bandwidth that is not greater than 3 kHz.

2

26.975

2

3

26.985

3

4

27.005

4

5

27.015

5

6

27.025

6

7

27.035

7

8

27.055

8

9

27.065

9

10

27.075

10

11

27.105

12

12

27.115

13

13

27.125

14

14

27.135

15

15

27.165

17

16

27.175

18

17

27.185

19

18

27.205

20

19

27.215

21

20

27.225

22

21

27.255

23

22

27.235

24

23

27.245

25

24

27.265

26

25

27.275

27

26

27.285

28

27

27.295

29

28

27.305

30

29

27.315

31

30

27.325

32

31

27.335

33

32

27.345

34

33

27.355

35

34

27.365

36

35

27.375

37

36

27.385

38

37

27.395

39

38

27.405

40

Part 2: UHF channels (25 kHz bandwidth)

4

1

476.425

1

(1) The CB station must:

(a) use an emission mode that begins with F3E or G3E; and

(b) be operated with a maximum transmitter power of 5 W pZ; and

(c) be operated with a necessary bandwidth not greater than 16 kHz.

(2) A CB station operated on 476.525 MHz (UHF channel 5) or 477.275 MHz (UHF channel 35) must not use audio tones (audible or subaudible) for initiating communication with another CB station.

(3) A CB station must not operate on the frequencies in sub-items 1 to 8 (UHF channels 1 to 8) and sub-items 29 to 36 (UHF channels 31 to 38) if the operation causes interference to a CB repeater station.

Note: UHF channels 1 to 8 are used by CB repeater stations for the automatic retransmission of radio signals transmitted by CB stations. UHF channels 31 to 38 are used by CB repeater stations to receive radio signals from CB stations.

2

476.45

2

3

476.475

3

4

476.5

4

5

476.525

5

6

476.55

6

7

476.575

7

8

476.6

8

9

476.625

9

10

476.65

10

11

476.675

11

12

476.7

12

13

476.725

13

14

476.75

14

15

476.775

15

16

476.8

16

17

476.825

17

18

476.85

18

19

476.875

19

20

476.9

20

21

476.925

21

22

477

24

23

477.025

25

24

477.05

26

25

477.075

27

26

477.1

28

27

477.125

29

28

477.15

30

29

477.175

31

30

477.2

32

31

477.225

33

32

477.25

34

33

477.275

35

34

477.3

36

35

477.325

37

36

477.35

38

37

477.375

39

38

477.4

40

5

1

476.95

22

(1) A radiocommunications transmitter that is part of a CB station:

(a) must be operated with a maximum transmitter power of 5 W; and

(b) must be operated with maximum EIRP of 8.3 W; and

(c) must be operated with a necessary bandwidth not greater than 16 kHz; and

(d) must be operated with a maximum carrier frequency error of ±3 kHz;

(e) must be operated with a maximum adjacent channel power of -22 dBm; and

(f) must be operated with a maximum conducted spurious emission of -30 dBm; and

(g) must be operated with a duty cycle of not more than 1/360; and

(h) must be fitted with a thing that shuts the transmitter down after 3 minutes of continuous operation.

Note: For paragraph (g), a duty cycle of 1/360 works out to 10 seconds of transmission in one hour.

(2) A radiocommunications receiver that is part of a CB station must be operated with a maximum conducted spurious emission of -57 dBm.

2

476.975

23

Part 3: UHF channels (12.5 kHz bandwidth)

6

1

476.425

1

(1) The CB station must:

(a) only employ F3E or G3E; and

(b) be operated with a maximum transmitter power of 5 W pZ; and

(c) be operated with a necessary bandwidth not greater than 10.1 kHz.

(2) A CB station operated on 476.525 MHz (UHF channel 5) or 477.275 MHz (UHF channel 35) must not use audio tones (audible or subaudible) for initiating communication with another CB station.

(3) A CB station must not operate on the frequencies in sub-items 1 to 16 (UHF channels 1 to 8 and 41 to 48) and sub-items 29 to 71 (UHF channels 31 to 38 and 71 to 78) if the operation causes interference to a CB repeater station.

Note: UHF channels 1 to 8 and 41 to 48 are used by CB repeater stations for the automatic retransmission of radio signals transmitted by CB stations. UHF channels 31 to 38 and 71 to 78 are used by CB repeater stations to receive radio signals from CB stations.

2

476.4375

41

3

476.45

2

4

476.4625

42

5

476.475

3

6

476.4875

43

7

476.5

4

8

476.5125

44

9

476.525

5

10

476.5375

45

11

476.55

6

12

476.5625

46

13

476.575

7

14

476.5875

47

15

476.6

8

16

476.6125

48

17

476.625

9

18

476.6375

49

19

476.65

10

20

476.6625

50

21

476.675

11

22

476.6875

51

23

476.7

12

24

476.7125

52

25

476.725

13

26

476.7375

53

27

476.75

14

28

476.7625

54

29

476.775

15

30

476.7875

55

31

476.8

16

32

476.8125

56

33

476.825

17

34

476.8375

57

35

476.85

18

36

476.8625

58

37

476.875

19

38

476.8875

59

39

476.9

20

40

476.9125

60

41

476.925

21

42

477

24

43

477.0125

64

44

477.025

25

45

477.0375

65

46

477.05

26

47

477.0625

66

48

477.075

27

49

477.0875

67

50

477.1

28

51

477.1125

68

52

477.125

29

53

477.1375

69

54

477.15

30

55

477.1625

70

56

477.175

31

57

477.1875

71

58

477.2

32

59

477.2125

72

60

477.225

33

61

477.2375

73

62

477.25

34

63

477.2625

74

64

477.275

35

65

477.2875

75

66

477.3

36

67

477.3125

76

68

477.325

37

69

477.3375

77

70

477.35

38

71

477.3625

78

72

477.375

39

73

477.3875

79

74

477.4

40

75

477.4125

80

\n```","sortOrder":10}],"analysis":{"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":8,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This instrument stays within the historic, core purpose of a CB class licence: it authorises low‑power CB operation on specified channels while managing interference and safety. It does not substantially broaden the regulatory reach (for example, it does not create new licensing categories or authorize repeaters — repeaters remain subject to apparatus/transmitter licences). Compared with a generic CB class licence, it refines and updates technical specifications (power, bandwidth, emission modes, channel numbering including expanded 12.5 kHz UHF channelisation), adds or clarifies operational limits (duty cycle, ID burst length, encryption ban on listed channels), and specifies direction powers and review paths. Those are technical and procedural adjustments rather than a material expansion beyond the instrument’s original regulatory purpose."},"complexity_factors":["Extensive Schedule 1 with three Parts listing HF and UHF channels and per‑channel restrictions (Schedule 1 contains ~80 UHF 12.5 kHz channels plus multiple 25 kHz UHF and HF channels).","Multiple conditional authorisations in section 6 (voice, identification/location signals, data, and internet‑linked carriage) with cross‑references to specific Schedule table items.","Numerous defined terms and external cross‑references (Interpretation section 4 references terms in the Radiocommunications Act, ACMA determinations, other legislative instruments and ITU Radio Regulations).","Layered technical constraints: differing limits on emission modes, transmitter power (W pX/pZ), EIRP, necessary bandwidth, adjacent‑channel power, spurious emission and carrier frequency error across channels (Schedule 1).","Multiple behavioural conditions and exceptions: emergency‑only use for certain channels (section 7(1)), encryption prohibition tied to particular uses (section 7(2)), duty‑cycle and burst‑length caps (section 7(7)–(8)).","Enforcement and procedural complexity: inspector directions (section 10) and emergency specified‑person directions (section 9), with ART review rights, creating overlapping administrative pathways.","Safety and exposure compliance: interaction with ARPANSA Standard and equipment rules (section 7(11)) introduces further external technical standards to satisfy.","Nested prohibitions and exceptions (e.g. altered equipment forbidden unless alteration complies with a direction under sections 9 or 10) and multiple ‘unless the contrary intention appears’ drafting devices (Interpretation, section 4)."],"plain_english_summary":"**What this instrument does (mechanically)**\n\n- It is a class licence that authorises people to operate citizen-band (CB) radio stations on specified frequencies and subject to explicit technical and behavioural rules (see section 6 and Schedule 1). It does not authorise CB repeater stations (repeaters require an apparatus/transmitter licence).\n\n- The instrument sets out: which frequencies may be used for voice, identification/location signals and data (Schedule 1); allowed emission types (e.g. AM, SSB, F3E/G3E); transmitter power, EIRP and bandwidth limits; limits on duty cycle and data-burst length for station identification; restrictions near the Murchison radio-astronomy observatory; obligations about electromagnetic exposure; and where and when particular channels may be used (sections 6–8 and Schedule 1).\n\n- It creates procedural powers: certain authorised persons (police, specified defence/Maritime Safety officers and others) may give directions to CB operators in emergencies (section 9); inspectors may give written directions to prevent or fix interference (section 10). Recipients may apply to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (ART) for review of those directions (sections 9(5), 10(4)).\n\n**Who this affects**\n\n- Individual CB users and vehicle/boat owners who operate CB equipment (they must operate only on the permitted channels and meet the technical limits in Schedule 1 and conditions in sections 7–8).\n- Manufacturers and importers of CB equipment (equipment must be capable of complying with channel, power and emission limits; altered equipment that is likely to cause interference is prohibited unless done under an authorised direction — section 7(3)).\n- Operators of CB repeater stations (their protection is preserved because some channels are restricted to avoid interference with repeaters; note repeaters themselves need an apparatus/transmitter licence).\n- Emergency services and specified officers (they have power to direct CB use in specified emergency situations — section 9).\n- Inspectors and the ART (inspectors can issue directions to prevent interference; ART reviews directions).\n\n**Key operational rules that change behaviour**\n\n- Channel‑specific technical limits: each channel in Schedule 1 has a specified carrier frequency and limitations on emission mode, transmitter power, necessary bandwidth and (for some UHF channels) EIRP, adjacent-channel power, spurious emissions and carrier frequency error. For example: HF channel 11 (27.085 MHz) permits AM or emissions starting F3E/G3E and limits transmitter power to 4 W pZ (Schedule 1, Part 1); many UHF channels are limited to 5 W and specified bandwidths (Schedule 1, Parts 2 & 3).\n\n- Some commonly used emergency/liaison channels are restricted to emergency use (section 7(1): e.g. 27.065 MHz (HF channel 9), 476.525 MHz (UHF channel 5), 477.275 MHz (UHF channel 35)). Operation on these is allowed only during an emergency/natural disaster or for an emergency services organisation’s response/ability to respond.\n\n- No encryption of speech is permitted when using the frequencies in the emergency-restricted list or when communicating through a CB repeater (section 7(2)).\n\n- Altered equipment: operating a station or accessory that has been altered after supply is prohibited if the alteration is likely to cause interference, unless the alteration complies with a direction under section 9 or 10 (section 7(3)).\n\n- Identification/data limits: where stations transmit identification or location signals, duty cycle is capped at 1/360 (≈10 seconds transmission per hour) and data bursts appended to voice must be ≤400 ms (section 7(7)–(8)).\n\n- Audio-tone initiation limits: initiating communications by transmitting audio tones is limited (section 8) — e.g. audible tones must generally be <3 seconds per 60 seconds on many channels; subaudible tones (CTCSS) may be used on some channels.\n\n- Radio-astronomy protection: operation is prohibited within 70 km of the CSIRO Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory if the operation causes harmful interference (section 7(9)).\n\n- Electromagnetic exposure: stations (or a group of stations) must meet ARPANSA basic restrictions where equipment rules do not prescribe an EME standard (section 7(11)).\n\n**Why this matters (practical effects and trade-offs)**\n\n- Interference management and coexistence: the instrument is designed to let many low‑power users share CB bands while protecting other services (repeaters, radio‑astronomy, aircraft/vessels, licensed services). It does that through detailed, channel‑by‑channel technical limits (Schedule 1) and inspector powers to act on interference (section 10). The concrete mechanism is prescribing emission modes, bandwidths, power/EIRP limits and spurious/adjacent‑channel limits tied to specific carrier frequencies.\n\n- Compliance costs and incentives: ordinary users must ensure their radios are capable of the specified emission modes, power/bandwidth limits and other features (for example, a transmitter shut‑off after 3 minutes on certain UHF channels in Schedule 1, Part 2). Manufacturers/importers therefore face product‑specification constraints. Users who alter equipment risk losing their class licence protection and face directions (section 7(3)). These are direct compliance costs (equipment replacement/adjustment, configuration) and behavioural costs (avoiding certain channels, limiting call‑tone duration).\n\n- Limits on private confidentiality: the ban on encrypting speech on specified frequencies or via repeaters (section 7(2)) restricts private or proprietary encrypted voice communications on those channels; the instrument achieves standardised, open voice communications at the cost of private encryption on those paths.\n\n- Administrative discretion and review: inspectors and certain emergency officers can direct operation of CB stations (sections 9–10). That provides operational flexibility to address immediate safety/interference issues; recipients can seek ART review, which is the procedural check on direction powers.\n\n- Implementation friction: the Schedule is technical and extensive (many channels with differing restrictions). That complexity raises a risk that some users (especially with older 40‑channel radios) will unwittingly operate outside the precise permitted parameters, potentially causing interference and attracting directions.\n\n**Source’s stated aims and testing them against trade‑offs**\n\n- The instrument’s design supports an explicit aim of enabling low‑power, shared CB use while protecting higher‑priority uses (repeaters, emergency channels, radio astronomy, licensed services). The mechanism is prescriptive technical constraints by channel (Schedule 1) plus direction powers for immediate interference/safety responses (sections 9–10).\n\n- Costs/trade‑offs: the protection is achieved by restricting some user behaviours (channel choice, power, bandwidth, encryption, altered equipment) and imposing technical device requirements (shutdown timers, spurious/adjacent‑channel limits). Those are concentrated on users/operators and manufacturers (who must meet the technical specs), and diffuse across the broader set of CB users who must comply with many channel‑specific rules. Enforcement and user education are necessary to make the design work in practice.\n\n**Where to look in the instrument**\n\n- Authorisation scope and permitted modes: section 6 and Schedule 1.\n- General conditions and prohibitions (encryption, altered equipment, harmful interference, duty cycle, radio‑astronomy limits, EME compliance): section 7 and section 8.\n- Emergency direction powers: section 9; inspector direction powers: section 10.\n- Detailed channel list and technical limits: Schedule 1 (Parts 1–3)."},"kimi_summary":{"_metrics":{"completionTokens":710},"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":7,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This is a standard technical radiocommunications class licence that replaces previous CB radio class licences. The scope remains consistent with its original purpose: authorising public access to CB radio spectrum with appropriate technical and operational safeguards. No significant scope creep detected — the emergency provisions, interference protections, and radio astronomy protections are standard features of Australian spectrum management."},"complexity_factors":["Extensive frequency tables with 80+ UHF channels across multiple bandwidth configurations (25 kHz and 12.5 kHz)","Nested conditional restrictions — different rules apply based on channel, emission mode, and whether using repeaters","Cross-references to multiple external instruments: Radiocommunications Act 1992, ARPANSA Standard, Radio Regulations, Radiocommunications Equipment (General) Rules 2021","Technical parameters requiring specialist knowledge: duty cycles, EIRP, spurious emissions, necessary bandwidth, emission modes","Dual authorisation structure — general conditions in sections 7-8 plus detailed frequency-specific restrictions in Schedule 1","Emergency and inspector direction powers with review mechanisms to ART (Australian Radiocommunications Tribunal)","Defined terms with layered meanings — some defined in instrument, some in Act, some in ACMA determinations"],"plain_english_summary":"This class-licence instrument authorises Australians to operate CB radio stations (truckies, 4WDers, emergency volunteers) without individual licences, while prescribing allowed HF and UHF channels, power/bandwidth limits, and operational rules to prevent interference. It protects emergency communications (restricting certain channels, banning encryption there), limits transmissions near the Murchison radio-astronomy site, and requires radiation-safety compliance. \n\nIt matters because it enables widespread, licence-free CB use while safeguarding emergency services and scientific observations."},"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/radiocommunications-citizen-band-radio-stations-class-licence-2025","history":"/api/acts/radiocommunications-citizen-band-radio-stations-class-licence-2025/history","analysis":"/api/acts/radiocommunications-citizen-band-radio-stations-class-licence-2025/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/radiocommunications-citizen-band-radio-stations-class-licence-2025/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/radiocommunications-citizen-band-radio-stations-class-licence-2025/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/radiocommunications-citizen-band-radio-stations-class-licence-2025/documents"}}