Changes to CB radio arrangements

Radiocommunications

We received 60 submissions to this consultation. You can access all public submissions below. 

We did not receive any objections to making the class licence. Some submitters suggested changes to the draft class licence or to the rules around CB radio more broadly.

After considering the submissions, we made the Radiocommunications (Citizen Band Radio Stations) Class Licence 2025. We made one change to the consultation draft to clarify that emergency communications can include activities such as emergency coordination and training. The class licence commences on 1 October 2025, which is the sunset date of the Radiocommunications (Citizen Band Radio Stations) Class Licence 2015. 

We have provided our responses to submissions in the key documents box above. We will do a review of CB arrangements in future and outline the timing of the review in the five-year spectrum outlook.

Radiocommunications

The CB class licence authorises the operation of CB stations. We think it plays an important role in the regulatory arrangements for CB radio. We propose to remake it with minor changes. The changes recognise technological and other developments since the CB class licence was made. 

We are also seeking views on 2 other matters to inform our future approach. Those are the use of:

• the emergency call channels (HF channel 9 and UHF channels 5 and 35)
• the data transmission channels (UHF channels 22 and 23). 

You can find details of the proposal to remake the CB class licence and above issues in the consultation paper. A copy of the draft Radiocommunications (Citizen Band Radio Stations) Class Licence 2025 is also available.