Remaking the Amateur Licence Conditions Determination

We received 8 submissions to this consultation, which you can access below. After considering the submissions, we made the:

• Radiocommunications Licence Conditions (Amateur Licence) Determination 2025.

The instrument will commence on 30 September 2025. 

Several submissions were out of scope of the consultation. These included suggestions for major reforms and changes that departed from the regulatory approach established by the Radiocommunications (Amateur Stations) Class Licence 2023 (Amateur Class Licence).

In response to feedback, we removed the condition applying to amateur advanced stations regarding the Timor Non Directional Beacon (NDB) Area on the 472–479 kHz band. We note that this condition was not included in the Amateur Class Licence. 

After a concern about the complexity of Schedule 1 requirements, we added some explicatory text to the Explanatory Statement (click on the Word or PDF doc on right-hand side of Federal Register of Legislation page).

Otherwise, after considering all feedback, we made the instrument largely as the draft we consulted on.

We are not proposing any further review of the instrument as it applies to beacon and repeater stations at this stage. Other amateur radio work items such as minor amendments to the Amateur Class Licence are of higher importance to amateur operators. 

Updates on the timing for consultation on any future amateur reforms will be communicated in the five-year spectrum outlook. 

Radiocommunications

We are reviewing the Radiocommunications Licence Conditions (Amateur Licence) Determination 2015 (the Amateur LCD). It is due to sunset on 1 October 2025. 

The Amateur LCD provides conditions on the use of amateur radio assigned and non-assigned licences.

While many amateurs now operate under the Amateur Class Licence, existing non-assigned amateur licences will continue to exist and operate under the conditions in the Amateur LCD until they expire. Assigned amateur licences for amateur repeaters and beacons also operate under the conditions in the Amateur LCD. 

We believe the Amateur LCD forms a necessary and useful part of the regulatory framework. We are proposing the remake the determination with minor changes. 

The consultation paper in key documents box above has details of our proposal. The draft Radiocommunications Licence Conditions (Amateur Licence) Determination 2025 (Amateur LCD 2025) is also available.