Labor will fight to protect regional and remote newspapers - and the jobs of their dedicated journalists - by insisting local information is still published in local papers.
Currently, the state’s 68 local councils must publish important community notices in local newspapers. This includes information about public consultation processes, meetings and election details. The Marshall Liberal Government wants to remove this obligation, instead only requiring publication on a website.
At tonight’s Country Press Awards in Clare, Labor Leader Peter Malinauskas announced that Labor will move amendments to the Statutes Amendment (Local Government Review) Bill, which is currently before the Legislative Council, to ensure the current obligations remain for suburban, regional and remote councils.
Quotes attributed to the Shadow Minister for Local Government and Arts Jayne Stinson
I don’t know about you, but I don’t get up in the morning and check my local council’s website or the Government Gazette to get my local news. I pick up my local paper!
Mandating that important public information only goes on a website, deprives country people of easy access to important local news and information. Not everyone is tech savvy or can even get an internet connection.
This penny pinching policy also deprives local newspapers of yet another important income source, putting their futures at risk.
Our country papers are already enduring the COVID downturn, the 24 hour news cycle and the immense challenge posed by social media giants. Why does this government want to make their financial sustainability even tougher?
We understand that councils don’t want to pay for local information to be published in local papers, but the future of our vital community newspapers is at risk. We think that’s worth fighting for.