There’s something about Mildura

Yesterday I read a release from the office of Senator the Hon Stephen Conroy Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy. There was something about the phrasing of the release and the numbers that made the little sceptic in the back of my head shout out “Something is rotten in the state of Victoria”. The press release is a soppy little bit to announce that the 2000th household in Mildura that was eligible for assistance had received it in converting to digital transmission before the upcoming Mildura-Sunraysia switch-off.

Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy today announced that the 2000th eligible household in Mildura had received help converting to digital TV under the Government’s Household Assistance Scheme.

Now, the release focuses on a jolly looking old man, a Mr Jamieson, who we could imagine to be our own grandfather, sporting a jolly old man collared shirt shirt and cardigan. What a wonderfully jolly old man he is (nice coincidence that this jolly old man was the 2000th as well, great photo), and we feel that by helping him, the lovely Household Assistance Scheme has helped our own grandparents. Makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside. Helping people isn’t my complaint with this scheme, but before we get to that, who exactly does the scheme help?

Senator Conroy said the Government was aware that some people may require help to switch to digital television. … “This is why we have put in place the Household Assistance Scheme – firstly for the Mildura TV licence area and then for eligible households in the next regions to make the switch to digital-only television. … “The scheme involves a government contractor visiting an eligible household to supply, install and demonstrate a high-definition set-top box – specifically chosen to ensure that it meets the needs of the elderly and people with a disability – and conduct any necessary antenna and cabling work if required,” Senator Conroy said.

The list of people eligible includes a category that I could technically fall into, so it’s not overly exclusive. Now, it’s a good thing to “supply, install and demonstrate a high-definition set-top box” but, there is something with the numbers that should be seen as a major warning, not as a moment to celebrate. The fact that the release (perhaps erroneously) states that TWO THOUSAND households required assistance in MILDURA is what rings warning bells. I don’t know if I am correct in saying this, but from the wording of the release the 2000 seems to not include the wider Sunraysia area that is part of the switch off.

The area has been reported to have been the focus of a long running and very intensive campaign as the pet-project for areas switching off analogue TV. There has been saturated advertising, community meetings, education sessions, the involvement of local media, as well as the Household Assistance Scheme. For an area that is so bombarded and given special attention, TWO THOUSAND seems like quite a large number. My inner-sceptic then thought “How big is Mildura anyway?”. When have you ever heard a fashion label advertise “Paris, Milan, Mildura”?

To do the most basic of research, the Mildura Wikipedia article quoting the ABS gives Mildura 13,053 households in the 2006 census. With TWO THOUSAND (maybe more with the switch over still coming up?) households out of THIRTEEN THOUSAND requiring assistance, my calculator comes up with a number of over FIFTEEN PERCENT of households requiring assistance. I wonder if that 15% will apply to all households across Australia? The same 2006 census puts the number of occupied households in Australia at 7,596,183. If so with this assistance rate, that’s going to be ONE MILLION ONE HUNDRED AND SIXTY THREE THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED AND NINETY EIGHT households in Australia that may potentially need assistance.

These are very loose, un-scientific numbers I have deliberately made to be sensationalist (notice my use of all caps, I’m a stirrer through-and-through) but they do raise some interesting some interesting observations.

• Obviously, the easiest explanation is that this is a rubbish media release that is easily misinterpreted. If that’s the case, Mr Conroy I offer my services (Tweet me!)
• With so many adverts and information sources out there, this may have been a campaign that is confusing and has been a major waste of money and time.
• The switch over shouldn’t be this difficult, but have we fully realised how many people in Australia will need assistance doing this?
• How much does it cost to supply, install and demonstrate a high-definition set-top box –  … and conduct any necessary antenna and cabling work if required per household assisted? With the contractor, transport, administration, advertising, equipment, insurance etcetera, for potentially a million households, surely this is going to be a big deal.
• How well are we going to be prepared when we move on from this regional area to larger cities? How confident do we become in meeting 2012/2013 switch off dates with these assistance rates?