2010

 

The Parliament of the

Commonwealth of Australia

 

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 

 

 

 

Presented and read a first time

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (Competition and Consumer Safeguards) Bill 2010

 

No.      , 2010

 

(Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy)

 

 

 

A Bill for an Act to amend legislation relating to telecommunications, and for other purposes

   

   

Contents

1............ Short title............................................................................................. 1

2............ Commencement................................................................................... 1

3............ Schedule(s)......................................................................................... 3

Schedule 1—Amendments                                                                                                 4

Part 1—Amendments relating to Telstra                                                              4

Division 1—Amendments commencing on the day after this Act receives the Royal Assent           4

Radiocommunications Act 1992                                                                                4

Telecommunications Act 1997                                                                                   5

Competition and Consumer Act 2010                                                                    75

Division 2—Amendments commencing immediately after a final functional separation undertaking comes into force                                                                                                                78

Telecommunications Act 1997                                                                                 78

Competition and Consumer Act 2010                                                                    80

Division 3—Amendments commencing immediately after an undertaking about structural separation comes into force                                                                                                                82

Telecommunications Act 1997                                                                                 82

Competition and Consumer Act 2010                                                                    83

Part 2—Telecommunications access regime                                                     85

Division 1—Amendments                                                                                         85

National Transmission Network Sale Act 1998                                                    85

Telecommunications Act 1997                                                                                 85

Competition and Consumer Act 2010                                                                  100

Division 2—Transitional provisions                                                                      155

Part 3—Anti-competitive conduct                                                                      167

Division 1—Amendments                                                                                       167

Competition and Consumer Act 2010                                                                  167

Division 2—Application                                                                                          167

Part 4—Universal service regime                                                                         168

Telecommunications (Consumer Protection and Service Standards) Act 1999   168

Part 5—Customer service guarantee                                                                   182

Telecommunications (Consumer Protection and Service Standards) Act 1999   182

Part 5A—Record-keeping rules                                                                            188

Telecommunications Act 1997                                                                               188

Part 6—Priority assistance                                                                                       190

Telecommunications Act 1997                                                                               190

Part 7—Infringement notices etc.                                                                        193

Division 1—Amendments                                                                                       193

Telecommunications Act 1997                                                                               193

Division 2—Application                                                                                          201

Part 8—Civil penalty provisions                                                                           202

Telecommunications Act 1997                                                                               202

Part 9—Industry standards                                                                                     203

Telecommunications Act 1997                                                                               203

 

A Bill for an Act to amend legislation relating to telecommunications, and for other purposes

The Parliament of Australia enacts:

1   Short title

                   This Act may be cited as the Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (Competition and Consumer Safeguards) Act 2010.

2   Commencement

             (1)  Each provision of this Act specified in column 1 of the table commences, or is taken to have commenced, in accordance with column 2 of the table. Any other statement in column 2 has effect according to its terms.

 

Commencement information
Column 1	Column 2	Column 3
Provision(s)	Commencement	Date/Details
1.  Sections 1 to 3 and anything in this Act not elsewhere covered by this table	The day this Act receives the Royal Assent.
2.  Schedule 1, Part 1, Division 1	The later of: (a) the start of the day after this Act receives the Royal Assent; and (b) immediately after the commencement of item 2 of Schedule 5 to the Trade Practices Amendment (Australian Consumer Law) Act (No. 2) 2010 .
3.  Schedule 1, Part 1, Division 2	Immediately after a final functional separation undertaking comes into force under Part 9 of Schedule 1 to the Telecommunications Act 1997 . The Minister must announce by notice in the Gazette the time when a final functional separation undertaking comes into force under Part 9 of Schedule 1 to the Telecommunications Act 1997 .
4.  Schedule 1, Part 1, Division 3	Immediately after an undertaking comes into force under section 577A of the Telecommunications Act 1997 . The Minister must announce by notice in the Gazette the time when an undertaking comes into force under section 577A of the Telecommunications Act 1997 .
5.  Schedule 1, Parts 2 and 3	The later of: (a) the start of the day after this Act receives the Royal Assent; and (b) immediately after the commencement of item 2 of Schedule 5 to the Trade Practices Amendment (Australian Consumer Law) Act (No. 2) 2010 .
6.  Schedule 1, Part 4	The day after the end of the period of 3 months beginning on the day this Act receives the Royal Assent.
7.  Schedule 1, Part 5	The day after the end of the period of 6 months beginning on the day this Act receives the Royal Assent.
8.  Schedule 1, Part 5A	The day after this Act receives the Royal Assent.
9.  Schedule 1, Part 6	The day after the end of the period of 3 months beginning on the day this Act receives the Royal Assent.
10.  Schedule 1, Part 7	The later of: (a) the start of the day after this Act receives the Royal Assent; and (b) immediately after the commencement of item 2 of Schedule 5 to the Trade Practices Amendment (Australian Consumer Law) Act (No. 2) 2010 .
11.  Schedule 1, Part 8	The day after this Act receives the Royal Assent.
12.  Schedule 1, Part 9	The day after this Act receives the Royal Assent.

Note:          This table relates only to the provisions of this Act as originally enacted. It will not be amended to deal with any later amendments of this Act.

             (2)  Any information in Column 3 of the table is not part of this Act. Information may be inserted in this column, or information in it may be edited, in any published version of this Act.

3   Schedule(s)

                   Each Act that is specified in a Schedule to this Act is amended or repealed as set out in the applicable items in the Schedule concerned, and any other item in a Schedule to this Act has effect according to its terms.

Note:          On 1 January 2011, the short title of the Trade Practices Act 1974 was changed to the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 by the Trade Practices Amendment (Australian Consumer Law) Act (No. 2) 2010 .