Digital Switchover Household Assistance Scheme

Mr Fletcher asked the Minister representing the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, in writing, on 12 September 2011:

(1) In what areas has the Scheme already been rolled out, and in each of these areas, what (a) is the take up rate, and (b) combined number of individuals and couples has the Government determined would be prima facie eligible for a set top box by reason of being recipients of the maximum rate of (i) an Age Pension, or a (ii) Disability Support Pension, (iii) Carer Payment, or (iv) Department of Veterans' Affairs Service Pension, or Income Support Supplement.

(2) How many of those who are or will be prima facie eligible for a set top box has the Government estimated will not be eligible by reason of already having access to digital television on any of the televisions that they own.

(3) Does access to digital free to air services through a pay television service constitute already having access to digital television; if so, how many of those who would be prima facie eligible in part (2) does the Government estimate would fall into this category.

(4) What is the budgeted cost of the roll out for each area, and the actual costs that have been or are expected to be incurred based on take up.

Mr Albanese: The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy has provided the following answer to the honourable member's question:

(1) The Household Assistance Scheme (HAS) has already been rolled out to the Mildura/Sunraysia, regional South Australia and Broken Hill, and regional Victoria switchover areas. It is currently being rolled out in regional Queensland.

(a) The take-up of potentially eligible households for each area where the rollout has been completed is:

(i) Mildura/Sunraysia 35.9%;

(ii) regional South Australia/Broken Hill 34.5%; and

(iii) regional Victoria 22.96%.

(b) The estimated number of potentially eligible households for each area, based on information from Centrelink, is:

(i) Mildura/Sunraysia 7 386

(ii) regional South Australia/Broken Hill 29 387

(iii) regional Victoria 120 434

(iv) regional Queensland    123 351

(2) Extensive work is undertaken to estimate the number of households that may seek assistance under the scheme, taking account of factors such as digital conversion in the home, including via pay TV. It is estimated the total number of households that will take up the assistance available will be around 700 000. The projected number in each switchover area is not disclosed in advance, as disclosure of this information would compromise future negotiations with tenderers in remaining switchover areas.

(3) Yes. See (2).

(4) The 2009-10 Federal Budget allocated $69.5 million to rollout HAS to the Mildura/Sunraysia, regional South Australia and Broken Hill, regional Victoria and regional Queensland switchover areas. The 2011-12 Federal Budget allocated $308.8 million to rollout HAS to all remaining switchover areas. Of these appropriations, as at 30 September 2011, the Department had expensed $23.2 million in relation to the rollouts in the above switchover areas. This does not include expenses incurred by Centrelink. The expense incurred in each rollout area is not disclosed, as disclosure of this information would compromise future negotiations with tenderers in remaining switchover areas. As a demand-driven program, any savings from a lower-than-expected uptake are returned to the Budget.