Licence area populations in the Section 30 Schedule

Find licence area details for all commercial services by:

• call sign
• licence area

We use data from the 2021 Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) census to determine licence area populations. We updated them in August 2023. Each licence area in the Section 30 Schedule includes:

• population
• area in km²
• the type of licence and ‘classifier’ code
• a map of the licence area
• a description of the licence area
• spatial data
• details of any areas that overlap*

Across Australia, many licence areas overlap. When you check the population, consider all licence areas that overlap. Part 5, Section 51 of the Broadcasting Services Act 1992 (the BSA) sets out rules for overlapping licence areas. If the population in the overlap area is more than 30% of the total population of either area, the rules in Part 5 of the BSA apply to both licence areas as if they were one licence area. Section 51 of the BSA does not apply to Division 5A.

A licence area is a geographical area that is defined in a licence area plan (LAP). We use ABS census data to make a legal determination under section 30 of the BSA, which includes the:

• population of Australia
• population of each licence area
• % of the population of Australia that the licence area represents
• % of a population in one licence area that is also in another licence area

We update these figures in a new determination when new census data is available. We must also make a new determination if we change a licence area plan in a way that affects geographic boundaries of commercial licence areas.

Licence areas set where a broadcaster can operate:

• commercial broadcast services
• community broadcast services
• services licensed under Section 40 of the BSA

Details of the types and number of services in a licence area are in the licence area plan.

Standard classifier codes

The coverage of different transmitters in a geographic area may vary. If this happens, a geographic area may have up to 9 licence areas. The list of standard classifier codes is below, where ‘x’ is a licence area number from 1 to 9.

• RAx for radio services
• TVx for television services
• DCx for datacasting services
• S40 for services licensed under Section 40 of the BSA

Population numbers are relevant to the media content and diversity rules in Part 5 of the BSA. We use the figures to limit the control of commercial broadcasting licences. This helps to make the media landscape more diverse in Australia.

The local content rules for regional commercial radio under Part 5 of the BSA also use the figures (see legislative instrument). They define whether a regional commercial radio licence operates in a 'small' licence area. This affects how much material of local significance (local content) they must broadcast. For example:

• ‘small’ licences (licence area populations under 30,000) must broadcast 30 minutes of local content each business day
• ‘other’ regional commercial radio licences (populations of 30,000 or more) must broadcast 3 hours of local content each business day.

We have to make a new determination if population data changes after a census. This may mean the licence holder no longer meets the rules in the BSA:

• Division 2 (Limitation on Control)
• Division 3 (Limitation Directorships)

If the new determination would put the licence holder in breach of a condition, the ACMA treats it as if the numbers of the most recent determination where it was not in breach were still in force. This arrangement has effect until the remaking of the legal determination under section 30 of the BSA, which is expected to occur after the next Australian census is conducted in 2026.

This is in line with:

• Section 52 of the BSA
• Subsection 43C(4) of the BSA - local content