ACT last night won an amendment to the Government’s Radiocommunications Amendment Bill that will allow amateur radio operators to once again publish their details in a national Call Book as a matter of course.

The New Zealand Association of Radio Transmitters annually produces a Call Book in which it lists all the people who have radio telephones and who communicate with each other around New Zealand. The Call Book has their call sign, their name and address.

However, when the Privacy Act was introduced in the mid-nineties, it affected the way the organisation could publish those details. It became increasingly difficult for the Association to identify new members and to publish the Call Book.

ACT Communication’s Spokesman Dr Muriel Newman took up the concerns of the New Zealand Association of Radio Transmitters, by drafting an amendment to the Government Bill. This amendment enables radio amateurs who don’t want their details to be published to opt-out, while leaving the details of all other operators free to be published.

Muriel Newman said Parliament voted unanimously to support the common sense amendment, which successfully resolves an issue that has been a cause of concern for almost six years.

ENDS

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