25Period of appointment for associate members

#### 25 Period of appointment for associate members Period specified in instrument of appointment (1) An associate member holds office for the period specified in his or her instrument of appointment. The period must not exceed 5 years. Total periods of appointment must not exceed 10 years (2) A person can be appointed as an associate member more than once. However, a later appointment must not result in the sum of the person’s periods of appointment exceeding 10 years. Reduction if specified inquiry, investigation or hearing ends earlier (3) Despite subsection (1), if: (a) an associate member’s instrument of appointment specifies that the appointment relates to a specified inquiry, investigation or hearing; and (b) the inquiry, investigation or hearing ends before the end of the period described in subsection (1); the associate member holds office until the end of the inquiry, investigation or hearing. Extension to complete inquiry, investigation or hearing (4) Despite subsections (1) and (2), if an associate member is conducting, or is part of the panel conducting, an inquiry, investigation or hearing for the ACMA, the Minister may, by writing, extend the associate member’s appointment until the end of the inquiry, investigation or hearing. For 10 year rule, count membership and ABA and ACA membership and associate membership (5) For the purposes of subsection (2), a period of appointment includes (in addition to any periods when the person was an associate member of the ACMA): (a) a period when the person was a member of the ACMA; or (b) a period before the commencement of section 6 when the person was a member, or associate member, of the Australian Broadcasting Authority that was established by the Broadcasting Services Act 1992; or (c) a period: (i) starting on or after 1 July 1997; and (ii) ending before the commencement of section 6; when the person was a member, or associate member, of the body corporate that was continued in existence by section 14 of the Australian Communications Authority Act 1997.