This report reviews three proposed treaty actions:
Agreement between the Government of Australia and the Government of Malaysia on Film Co-Production;
Partial Revision of the 2015 Radio Regulations, as incorporated into the Final Acts of the World Radiocommunication Conference 2019 (WRC-19); and
Agreement between Australia and Timor-Leste on Taxation Information Exchange.
The purpose of the proposed Agreement between the Government of Australia and the Government of Malaysia on Film Co-Production is to stimulate industry, employment, technical development and cultural exchange between Australia and Malaysia by facilitating screen co-productions between the two countries. The proposed Agreement provides a framework within which the relevant authorities of each country may cooperate to approve the making of a broad range of films including feature films, television, video recordings, animations and digital format productions.
Malaysia is an attractive market for Australian co-productions, due to numerous government-funded schemes that support local Malaysian film production and the potential to reach a very large audience. The proposed Agreement is expected to build on existing partnerships between Australian and Malaysian producers and provide the impetus to develop high-quality projects.
The Committee notes the interest amongst both Australian and Malaysian producers to develop co-productions, and welcomes the proposed Agreement as an effort to further deepen the already close cultural and economic relationship with Malaysia. The Committee considers the proposed Agreement should be ratified, and recommends that binding treaty action be taken.
The Radio Regulations are a binding international instrument regulating the use of radio-frequency spectrum and satellite orbits by communications technologies. This facilitates equitable access to, and rational use of, the radio-frequency spectrum and satellite orbits. The proposed Final Acts of the World Radiocommunication Conference 2019 (WRC-19) contain the revisions agreed at that Conference.
The WRC-19 revisions are expected to benefit Australia by providing more bandwidth to support 5G mobile broadband services; improving connectivity on aeroplanes and ships; increasing global satellite broadband availability and competition in the non-geostationary satellite orbit market; expanding capacity and coverage, particularly in Polar regions and in the provision of Global Maritime Distress and Safety System satellite services; and improving protection for radio astronomy and earth observation sciences.
The Committee acknowledges Australia made reservations and declarations at the WRC-19, and notes they are consistent with the position Australia took at previous World Radiocommunication Conferences.
The Committee is satisfied that the WRC-19 revisions to the Radio Regulations are in Australia’s national interest and recommends that binding treaty action be taken.
The purpose of the proposed Agreement between Australia and Timor-Leste on Taxation Information Exchange is to allow Australia and Timor-Leste to exchange information for the purpose of administering taxes affected by, or brought into existence as a consequence of, Annex D of the Treaty between Australia and the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste Establishing their Maritime Boundaries in the Timor Sea (the Maritime Boundaries Treaty).
The proposed Agreement is necessary to implement the Parties’ obligations under the Maritime Boundaries Treaty, to provide companies whose petroleum activities are affected by that treaty with conditions equivalent to those previously in place under the revoked Timor Sea Treaty between the Government of East Timor and the Government of Australia.
The Committee notes that the proposed Agreement would ensure Australia satisfies its obligations under the Maritime Boundaries Treaty, and acknowledges the proposed Agreement would also ensure the avoidance of double taxation and prevent fiscal evasion in relation to petroleum activities. Accordingly, the Committee supports the proposed Agreement and recommends that binding treaty action be taken.