{"id":"F2026L00418","name":"Telecommunications (Carrier Licence Charges) (Estimated Total of Grants) Determination 2026","slug":"telecommunications-carrier-licence-charges-estimated-total-of-grants-determination-2026","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":319863,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2026L00418-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-08","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Telecommunications (Carrier Licence Charges) (Estimated Total of Grants) Determination 2026","content":"---\nmeta-content-style-type: text/css\nmeta-content-type: application/xhtml+xml; charset=utf-8\n---\n\n?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"utf-8\" standalone=\"no\"?>\n\n![Commonwealth Coat of Arms of Australia](image.001.png) \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\n \n\nTELECOMMUNICATIONS (CARRIER LICENCE CHARGES)   (ESTIMATED TOTAL OF GRANTS) DETERMINATION 2026\n\n \n\nI, ANIKA WELLS, Minister for Communications, under paragraph 15(1)(d) of the Telecommunications (Carrier Licence Charges) Act 1997, determine that the estimated total amount of grants likely to be made during the 2025-26 financial year under section 593 of the Telecommunications Act 1997 is $3,278,000.\n\n \n\n \n\nDated: 25 March 2026\n\n \n\n \n\n \n\nANIKA WELLS\n\nMinister for Communications\n\n \n","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This instrument performs the specific, narrow function of setting an estimated total amount of grants for the 2025–26 financial year. It does not expand or narrow statutory powers or change substantive legal obligations; it records an administrative forecast under the authority cited (paragraph 15(1)(d) of the Telecommunications (Carrier Licence Charges) Act 1997) and relates to grants under section 593 of the Telecommunications Act 1997."},"complexity_factors":["Short, single-purpose instrument: contains one operative number (the estimate) and minimal text.","References to two separate Acts (Telecommunications (Carrier Licence Charges) Act 1997 and Telecommunications Act 1997) requiring limited cross-reference to understand legal authority.","Dependence on external statutory mechanisms: the practical significance depends on how other provisions use the estimate (requires lookup of those provisions for full effect).","Forecasting risk and budgetary implications: accuracy of the estimate can have downstream fiscal consequences even though the instrument itself is simple.","Ministerial discretion: the instrument exercises delegated executive power, so understanding accountability/review pathways requires consulting the parent Act."],"plain_english_summary":"This Determination, signed by the Minister for Communications on 25 March 2026, records an official estimate that $3,278,000 is likely to be granted under section 593 of the Telecommunications Act 1997 in 2025–26. It affects the Commonwealth’s budgeting and the agencies and recipients involved in those grants, serving as an administrative parameter for accounting and any downstream calculations—without itself allocating or paying funds."},"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":1,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This determination performs exactly the narrow, technical function it was designed for under the 1997 Act: setting an estimated grants figure for licence charge calculations. There is no expansion of scope."},"complexity_factors":["Single operative provision with no subsections or conditions","Zero defined terms","No cross-references to other legislation beyond naming the empowering provision","No exceptions, exemptions, or discretionary powers exercised","Total length: approximately 100 words of substantive content","Purely administrative/budgetary determination with no regulatory burden beyond the stated figure"],"plain_english_summary":"This is a short legal instrument made by the Minister for Communications that sets a dollar figure for budget planning purposes.\n\n**What it does:**\nThe Minister formally determines that the government expects to pay **$3,278,000** in grants during the 2025-26 financial year under a specific program in the Telecommunications Act 1997 (section 593). This figure is used to calculate annual charges that telecommunications carriers must pay for their licences.\n\n**Who it affects:**\n- **Telecommunications carriers** (companies like Telstra, Optus, TPG, etc. that own network infrastructure) — the estimated grants figure feeds into a formula that determines how much they pay in licence fees each year.\n- **The government** — this creates transparency about expected grant spending.\n\n**Why it matters:**\nUnder the Telecommunications (Carrier Licence Charges) Act 1997, carriers pay annual licence charges partly based on how much the government expects to spend on telecommunications grants. The higher the estimated grants, the higher the total amount carriers collectively pay. This determination locks in that estimate for the 2025-26 year, ensuring carriers know what they're contributing toward and that grant programs are properly funded.\n\n**In simple terms:** Think of it like a strata fee estimate. The Minister is telling the 'residents' (phone companies) how much the 'building' (government grant programs) is expected to cost this year, so they know what to chip in."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/telecommunications-carrier-licence-charges-estimated-total-of-grants-determination-2026","history":"/api/acts/telecommunications-carrier-licence-charges-estimated-total-of-grants-determination-2026/history","analysis":"/api/acts/telecommunications-carrier-licence-charges-estimated-total-of-grants-determination-2026/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/telecommunications-carrier-licence-charges-estimated-total-of-grants-determination-2026/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/telecommunications-carrier-licence-charges-estimated-total-of-grants-determination-2026/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/telecommunications-carrier-licence-charges-estimated-total-of-grants-determination-2026/documents"}}