TELECOMMUNICATIONS UNIVERSAL SERVICE MANAGEMENT AGENCY ACT 2012 (NO. 43, 2012)

Contents

Part 1--Preliminary 2

1............ Short title............................................................................................. 2

2............ Commencement................................................................................... 2

3............ Simplified outline................................................................................ 4

4............ Definitions.......................................................................................... 6

5............ Vacancy in the office of a TUSMA member....................................... 9

6............ Standard telephone service.................................................................. 9

7............ Supply of standard telephone services.............................................. 10

8............ Crown to be bound........................................................................... 11

9............ Extension to external Territories........................................................ 11

10.......... Continuity of partnerships................................................................. 11

Part 2--Public interest telecommunications services 12

Division 1--Policy objectives 12

11.......... Policy objectives............................................................................... 12

12.......... Achievement of policy objectives...................................................... 13

Division 2--Contracts and grants 14

Subdivision A--General 14

13.......... Contracts and grants.......................................................................... 14

14.......... Terms and conditions of grants......................................................... 14

15.......... Condition about compliance with Ministerial determination.............. 15

16.......... Exemption of designated transitional contracts from Ministerial determination 17

17.......... TUSMA has powers etc. of the Commonwealth.............................. 17

18.......... Conferral of powers on TUSMA...................................................... 17

19.......... TUSMA to notify the Minister about entering into contracts or making grants 18

20.......... TUSMA to notify Minister about variations of contracts.................. 18

21.......... TUSMA to notify Minister about variations of grants...................... 19

Subdivision B--Transitional 20

22.......... Transitional--standard telephone services........................................ 20

23.......... Transitional--payphones.................................................................. 20

24.......... Transitional--emergency call service................................................ 21

25.......... Transitional--National Relay Service............................................... 21

26.......... Transitional--continuity of supply of carriage services during the transition to the national broadband network 22

Division 3--Registers 23

27.......... Register of Public Interest Telecommunications Contracts................ 23

28.......... Register of Public Interest Telecommunications Grants.................... 23

Division 4--Monitoring of performance 25

29.......... Monitoring of performance............................................................... 25

Division 4A--Facilitation of the voice customer migration policy objective 26

Subdivision A--Access to information or documents held by a carriage service provider 26

29A....... Access to information or documents held by a carriage service provider 26

29B....... Copying documents--compensation................................................. 27

29C....... Copies of documents......................................................................... 27

29D....... TUSMA may retain documents........................................................ 27

29E........ Law relating to legal professional privilege not affected.................... 28

Subdivision B--Disclosure of information 28

29F........ Disclosure of information................................................................. 28

Subdivision C--Consent to customer contact 28

29G....... Consent to customer contact.............................................................. 28

Division 5--Miscellaneous 30

30.......... Executive power of the Commonwealth............................................ 30

Part 3--Telecommunications Universal Service Management Agency 31

Division 1--TUSMA's establishment, functions, powers and liabilities 31

31.......... Establishment of the Telecommunications Universal Service Management Agency 31

32.......... Functions of TUSMA....................................................................... 31

33.......... Powers of TUSMA.......................................................................... 31

34.......... TUSMA's liabilities are Commonwealth liabilities........................... 32

35.......... TUSMA has privileges and immunities of the Crown...................... 32

Division 2--Constitution and membership of TUSMA etc. 33

Subdivision A--Constitution of TUSMA 33

36.......... Constitution of TUSMA................................................................... 33

Subdivision B--TUSMA members 33

37.......... Membership of TUSMA.................................................................. 33

38.......... Appointment of TUSMA members.................................................. 33

39.......... Period of appointment for TUSMA members................................... 34

40.......... Acting TUSMA members................................................................. 34

Division 3--Terms and conditions for TUSMA members 36

41.......... Remuneration.................................................................................... 36

42.......... Disclosure of interests to the Minister............................................... 36

43.......... Disclosure of interests to TUSMA................................................... 36

44.......... Outside employment......................................................................... 37

45.......... Leave of absence............................................................................... 37

46.......... Resignation....................................................................................... 37

47.......... Termination of appointment.............................................................. 37

48.......... Other terms and conditions............................................................... 38

Division 4--Decision-making by TUSMA 39

49.......... Holding of meetings.......................................................................... 39

50.......... Presiding at meetings........................................................................ 39

51.......... Quorum............................................................................................. 39

52.......... Voting at meetings etc....................................................................... 39

53.......... Conduct of meetings......................................................................... 39

54.......... Minutes............................................................................................. 40

Division 5--Delegation 41

55.......... Delegation by TUSMA..................................................................... 41

Division 6--Committees 42

56.......... Committees....................................................................................... 42

57.......... TUSMA may assist committees........................................................ 42

Division 7--Chief Executive Officer of TUSMA 43

58.......... Chief Executive Officer of TUSMA................................................. 43

59.......... Role................................................................................................... 43

60.......... Appointment of the CEO.................................................................. 43

61.......... Period of appointment of the CEO.................................................... 43

62.......... Acting CEO...................................................................................... 43

63.......... Remuneration.................................................................................... 44

64.......... Disclosure of interests to TUSMA................................................... 44

65.......... Outside employment......................................................................... 44

66.......... Leave of absence............................................................................... 44

67.......... Resignation....................................................................................... 45

68.......... Termination of appointment.............................................................. 45

69.......... Other terms and conditions............................................................... 46

70.......... CEO not subject to direction by TUSMA on certain matters............ 46

Division 8--Staff of TUSMA etc. 47

71.......... Staff of TUSMA............................................................................... 47

72.......... Consultants....................................................................................... 47

73.......... Persons assisting TUSMA............................................................... 47

Division 9--Planning and reporting obligations of TUSMA 48

74.......... Corporate plan................................................................................... 48

75.......... Annual report.................................................................................... 48

76.......... Minister may require TUSMA to prepare reports or give information 49

Division 10--Ministerial directions 50

77.......... Minister may give directions to TUSMA.......................................... 50

Part 4--Access to information or documents held by an NBN corporation 51

78.......... Access to information or documents held by an NBN corporation... 51

79.......... Copying documents--compensation................................................. 52

80.......... Copies of documents......................................................................... 52

81.......... TUSMA may retain documents........................................................ 52

82.......... Law relating to legal professional privilege not affected.................... 53

83.......... Severability....................................................................................... 53

Part 5--Telecommunications Universal Service Special Account 54

84.......... Telecommunications Universal Service Special Account.................. 54

85.......... Credits to the Account....................................................................... 54

86.......... Purposes of the Account................................................................... 54

87.......... Distribution of remaining balance of the Account............................. 55

Part 6--Assessment, collection and recovery of levy 56

Division 1--Overall levy target amount 56

88.......... Overall levy target amount................................................................ 56

89.......... Statement of estimate of overall levy target amount........................... 56

90.......... Statement of overall levy target amount............................................. 57

Division 2--Eligible revenue of participating persons 59

91.......... Participating person must lodge return of eligible revenue................ 59

92.......... Participating person........................................................................... 59

93.......... Eligible revenue................................................................................. 60

94.......... Audit report to accompany eligible revenue return............................ 61

95.......... ACMA may inquire into correctness of return.................................. 62

96.......... ACMA to assess eligible revenue..................................................... 62

97.......... Assessment based on estimate of eligible revenue............................ 62

98.......... Levy contribution factor.................................................................... 63

Division 3--Levy amount 64

99.......... Levy amount of a participating person.............................................. 64

100........ ACMA to make written assessment.................................................. 65

101........ Publication of assessment................................................................. 66

Division 4--Assessments 67

102........ Variation of assessments................................................................... 67

103........ ACMA may accept statements.......................................................... 67

104........ Multiple assessments in the same document..................................... 67

Division 5--Collection and recovery of levy 68

105........ When levy payable............................................................................ 68

106........ Recovery of levy............................................................................... 68

107........ Validity of assessment...................................................................... 68

108........ Evidence of assessment..................................................................... 68

109........ Onus of establishing incorrectness of assessment............................. 69

110........ Set-off............................................................................................... 69

111........ Refund of overpayment of levy......................................................... 69

112........ Cancellation of certain exemptions from levy.................................... 70

113........ Commonwealth not liable to levy...................................................... 70

114........ Performance bonds and guarantees................................................... 70

Division 6--Disclosure of information 71

115........ Public may request information......................................................... 71

116........ Request for information that is unavailable under section 115.......... 71

117........ How the ACMA is to comply with a request.................................... 73

118........ Minister's information-gathering powers.......................................... 73

Division 7--Other matters 75

119........ Delegation by the Minister................................................................ 75

120........ Offence of failing to lodge eligible revenue return............................ 75

121........ Late payment penalty......................................................................... 75

Part 7--Miscellaneous 77

122........ Disclosure of information to certain bodies or persons..................... 77

123........ Review of the operation of this Act................................................... 77

124........ Compensation for acquisition of property......................................... 78

125........ Regulations....................................................................................... 79

Commonwealth Numbered Acts

TELECOMMUNICATIONS UNIVERSAL SERVICE MANAGEMENT AGENCY ACT 2012 (NO. 43, 2012) - NOTES