Pre-Budget Submission 2024-2025

ACCAN recently submitted to the Australian Treasury’s Pre-Budget consultation to provide our views on priorities for the 2024-2025 Australian Budget. Our submission calls on the Federal Government to address the barriers faced by consumers in accessing affordable, quality, and reliable telecommunications by:

• Allocating funding to establish a concessional broadband service to improve the affordability of NBN services for consumers receiving government assistance.

• Allocating funding to establish an independent comparison tool for the telecommunications market to help consumers find a telecommunications service that best meets their needs.

• Establishing a formalised pathway to ensure that internet devices are refurbished and passed down to consumers through community groups.

• Establishing a legislated right to repair to facilitate the competitiveness of the internet device repair market.

• Continuing to fund the Mobile Black Spot Program and Regional Connectivity Program to assist consumers, including First Nations consumers, to gain suitable telecommunications connectivity.

• Allocating funding to support consumer representation in digital platforms policy.

• Allocating funding to improve access to accessible telecommunications goods and services to ensure that people with disability are able to equally participate in society.