Who we are
About the ACMA
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is a Commonwealth government body established under the Australian Communications and Media Authority Act 2005. The ACMA works within the portfolio of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy.
What we want to be known for
By 2010, the ACMA wants to be, and be recognised as:
- the world’s leading converged communications regulator; and
- a forward-looking and efficient organisation that supports and encourages a dynamic communications sector.
Our strategic intent
Making communications and media work in Australia’s public interest
Our goals
The ACMA’s goals are:
- To provide an effective regulatory environment that:
- supports an efficient communications sector; and
- enables industry to meet the needs of the community for communications services and products.
- A professional and highly committed workforce.
Our services
The ACMA regulates broadcasting, the internet, radiocommunications, and telecommunications according to its functions and powers under the Australian Communications and Media Authority Act 2005. The ACMA also exercises powers under the Broadcasting Services Act 1992, the Radiocommunications Act 1992, the Telecommunications Act 1997, the Spam Act 2003, the Do Not Call Register Act 2006 and the Telecommunications (Consumer Protection and Service Standards) Act 1999.
The ACMA’s specific responsibilities include:
- promoting self-regulation and competition in the telecommunications industry, while protecting consumers and other users;
- fostering an environment in which electronic media respects community standards and responds to audience and user needs;
- managing access to the radiofrequency spectrum, including the broadcasting services bands;
- representing Australia’s communications and broadcasting interests internationally.
Our clients
Who is this service charter for?
This charter is for everyone who deals with the ACMA. This includes our clients and the broadcasting, online content, telecommunications and radiocommunications industries we regulate.
If your concern is outside the scope of our responsibilities, we will refer you to the responsible organisation.
How can you contact us?
You can access our services in one of the following ways:
- visit our website at www.acma.gov.au
- facsimile
- in person at our offices and
- telephone between 8.30 am and 5.00 pm each working day.
Please note that in relation to some areas of the ACMA’s business, the client service function has been outsourced to a contracted service provider.
You can find a list of the relevant ACMA contact details, including those where the client service function has been outsourced, and office locations by clicking on the Contact us link at the bottom of each of our pages.
What you can expect from us
You can expect professional service from the ACMA, and its contracted service providers, in accordance with this charter. You may also have legal rights arising from the legislation the ACMA administers which relates to the information we hold and the decisions we make.
You can expect to receive:
- prompt, open, honest and helpful service;
- courtesy and respect from our staff; and
- information you can rely on.
You can also give us feedback or make a complaint about our service.
You can expect that:
- our people will identify themselves by name;
- written ACMA correspondence will include a contact name and contact details; and
- your complaints will be handled sensitively and promptly.
You have the right to:
- request access under the Freedom of Information Act to information we hold about you; and
- have your privacy respected.
In some circumstances, you also have the right to:
- request the reasons for our decisions; and
- seek a review of our decisions.
Your responsibilities
Our ability to provide you with a high level of service depends on you helping us. To provide you with a high level of client service, we ask you to:
- give us accurate and complete information;
- give us sufficient time to respond to your requests;
- treat our staff with courtesy and respect;
- be open and honest in your dealings with us;
- comply with the law; and
- if applicable, fulfil your agreed financial and other obligations to the ACMA within the appropriate timeframes.
Our service commitments
Our service standards
The matters for which the ACMA has responsibility vary in complexity and can have particular statutory deadlines. When you make an application (such as a licence application) or communicate with us about other regulatory matters, we will tell you how long it should take to deal with your issue. If it is not possible to meet that timeframe, we will keep you informed of progress.
Our commitment to improvement
We welcome your feedback on the effectiveness of our charter and performance. We will monitor your feedback as a measure of our compliance with the service standards set out in this charter.
We will maintain a customer feedback register to help us identify any problems in service delivery or in areas where changes could be made, so that we can work towards improvement.
We will report on our performance in our annual report.
The terms and effectiveness of the charter will also be reviewed regularly.
Other commitments
We have a commitment to staff training programs to ensure our staff members are skilled, client-focused and sensitive to your concerns.
Making complaints or providing feedback
If you are not happy with the ACMA’s client service, please let us know so that we can address the issue.
Complaints or feedback about an ACMA service can be made by filling in the online ACMA complaint/feedback form.
If you are not happy with our response or the way that your complaint has been handled, you may contact the Commonwealth Ombudsman.
You can contact the Ombudsman by telephone on 1300 362 072 for the cost of a local call or use the online complaints form at www.ombudsman.gov.au. Concerns or complaints about an ACMA decision will not be considered as part of this process.
For information on appeal rights regarding ACMA decisions, please refer to the ACMA website or request information from the staff member you have been dealing with.
