The division used to be the station-planning branch of the Department of Transport and Communications. With the abolition of the Australian Broadcasting tribunal and the creation of the authority, the station-planning branch was moved to the authority.
It has about 50 staff, 20 engineers/technical and the rest clerical/policy.
Staff sent a letter to the chairman, Brian Johns, yesterday protesting about the move. Staff have also written to politicians seeking help, including to Independent Michael Moore. They say the move is unnecessary. They could function as well from Canberra. Indeed, they argue that the Sydney staff could equally as well move to Canberra and have the authority based here.
As the old ABT functions shrink the 127 Sydney staff would have to shrink by 60 anyway, according to government requirements.
The Canberra people say 95 per cent will not move. Most are married with children and spouses in jobs. Only the young single males would move. The staff think the transfer is partially aimed at forcing them out so the positions in Sydney can be filled by old ABT staff who with the reduced function would otherwise be redundant.
Staff say Mr Johns is acting too hastily. A letter from the Minister for Transport and Communications, Bob Collins, to Mr Johns said that to minimise disruption staff could stay put for the moment and “”before the Government takes a decision on the most desirable long-term arrangements for accommodation for the ABA, I would like to have your advice on this matter. I would need this by the end of February 1993 .
Staff say Mr Johns is making a final decision even though the letter says the Government is to make that decision.
However, Mr Johns said yesterday that Senator Collins had told Parliament that “”ultimately all the elements of the ABA should be collocated”. Senator Collins had asked for advice by the end of February.
“”As I mentioned to staff at the Canberra office on my visit on November 25, my initial view is that the organisation would best function as a single unit ultimately based in Sydney,” he said. “”The final decision will be made by the Government following the Minister’s consideration of my submission. The financial costs will be an important factor in the decision. I have taken account of the views put to me on my visit and have asked for further issues to be canvassed.”
Planning staff work out frequencies for radio and television stations. They have close working relations in Canberra with the department which has developed a major computer system and database containing information on about a million licences for other services: CB, taxis, police, marine, satellite and so on.
If the section were moved, the University of Canberra’s broadcasting engineering course would lose an attractive local employer.
The proposed move follows a raft of others: CSIRO executive to Melbourne, Administrative Appeals Tribunal principal registry to Brisbane, parts of Austrade to Sydney, the Industries Commission to Melbourne, among others.
Many staff in these bodies say it is easy for those at the very top with large salaries, and often these are the people keen to move. Junior staff are more mobile. However, many in the middle cannot or will not move for family reasons and the organisation loses their skills.
When the station-planning section moved from Melbourne to Canberra in 1985, only two or three engineers moved and the section had to be built up anew.