Statement - ABC South Australia

I am deeply disappointed in the ABC's announcement today about the closure of South Australia’s production facilities and the closure of a regional office in Port Augusta. This will mean a loss of talent and capacity in South Australia that will be irreplaceable.

I am disgusted that the last production unit outside of Sydney and Melbourne is now being closed. It is clear that the ABC is using a modest efficiency dividend as an excuse to continue a long held strategy to centralise their television model in the eastern states.

The ABC has already closed TV production units in other states, most recently Tasmania’s was closed in 2012. With the closure of South Australia’s production unit, all production will be driven from out of Sydney and Melbourne.

Just today in the Fairfax press there is an article from a former Manager of ABC Radio National writing that there are opportunities to find greater efficiencies at the ABC. It is clear Mark Scott has taken the lazy way out. http://www.smh.com.au/comment/the-abc-has-flab-to-be-cut-20141122-11rtki.html

I have written three letters to Mark Scott in August, October and November urging him to retain SA production. Last week I began a petition to the Board of the ABC similarly calling for SA production to be retained and this morning wrote to ABC Chairman Jim Spigelman directly. The letter can be seen here: http://on.fb.me/1uZD6Id

This decision is not one supported by the ABC's charter. I won’t be giving up and will continue to lobby the ABC to retain SA production.