Radiocommunications (Field Trial by Corrective Services NSW of PMTS Jamming Devices at Lithgow Correctional Centre) Exemption Determination 2012

Administered by Department of Communications and the Arts

Legislation au F2012L02561 Not in force Legislative Instrument

Legislation content

Radiocommunications (Field Trial by Corrective Services NSW of PMTS Jamming Devices at Lithgow Correctional Centre) Exemption Determination 2012

as amended

made under subparagraph 27(1)(be)(ii) and subsection 27(2) of the Radiocommunications Act 1992

Compilation start date:  21 June 2014

Includes amendments up to: Radiocommunications (Field Trial by Corrective Services NSW of PMTS Jamming Devices at Lithgow Correctional Centre) Exemption Amendment Determination 2014 (No. 1).

This compilations was prepared by the Australian Communications and Media Authority on 1 July 2014.


 

1 Name of Determination

This Determination is the Radiocommunications (Field Trial by Corrective Services NSW of PMTS Jamming Devices at Lithgow Correctional Centre) Exemption Determination 2012.

2 Commencement

This Determination commences on 1 July 2013.

Note All legislative instruments and compilations are registered on the Federal Register of Legislative Instruments kept under the Legislative Instruments Act 2003. See http://www.frli.gov.au.

3 Definitions

  In this Determination:

ACMA means the Australian Communications and Media Authority.

Act means the Radiocommunications Act 1992.

ARPANSA Standard means the Radiation Protection Standard for Maximum Exposure Levels to Radiofrequency Fields – 3kHz to 300 GHz (2002) published by the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency as in force or existing from time to time.

Note The ARPANSA Standard may be obtained from the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency website (http://www.arpansa.gov.au).

Corrective Services NSW or CSNSW has the same meaning as in the Crimes (Administration of Sentences) Act 1999 of New South Wales.

CSNSW staff means the staff of Corrective Services NSW as provided for in section 231 of the Crimes (Administration of Sentences) Act 1999 of New South Wales.

designated frequencies means any of the following frequencies:

(a)   870890 MHz;

(b)   935960 MHz;

(c)   18051880 MHz; and

(d)   21102170 MHz.

field trial means the trial operation of a PMTS jamming devices at the Lithgow Correctional Centre by Corrective Services NSW.

field trial participant has the meaning given to that expression in subsection 6 (2) of this Determination.

field trial zone means any area the location of which is:

(a)   wholly within the Lithgow Correctional Centre; and

(b)   depicted on a map of the Lithgow Correctional Centre, agreed in writing by the ACMA and Corrective Services NSW.

harmful interference to radiocommunications means interference that obstructs, repeatedly interrupts or seriously degrades radiocommunications.

Note Interference is defined in the Act.

Lithgow Correctional Centre means the maximum security centre at 596 Great Western Highway, Marrangaroo in New South Wales.

nominated PMTS jamming device means a PMTS jamming device of a kind agreed in writing by the ACMA and Corrective Services NSW, before the commencement of this Determination, for use in the field trial.

non-designated frequencies means frequencies other than the designated frequencies.

PMTS jamming device has the same meaning as in the Radiocommunications (Prohibition of PMTS Jamming Devices) Declaration 2011.

Note In the Radiocommunications (Prohibition of PMTS Jamming Devices) Declaration 2011, PMTS means a public mobile telecommunications service as defined in the Telecommunications Act 1997.

4 Corrective Services NSW is a body for the purposes of paragraph 27 (1) (be) of the Act

  For the purposes of paragraph 27 (1) (be) of the Act, Corrective Services NSW is a body to which section 27 of the Act applies.

5 Determination ceases to have effect

This Determination expires on 30 September 2014, as if it had been repealed by another instrument.

6 Exemption in relation to the field trial

(1) Any act or omission by a field trial participant in relation to the use, operation, possession or supply of a nominated PMTS jamming device is exempt from Parts 3.1, 4.1 and 4.2 of the Act in the circumstances specified in subsection (3).

(2) For the purposes of subsection (1), field trial participant means a person who is performing a function or duty in relation to Corrective Services NSW and satisfies one of the following:

(a)   the person is a member of CSNSW staff;

(b)   the person has a contract with Corrective Services NSW in relation to the conduct of the field trial; or

(c)   the person is employed or engaged by a person who has a contract with Corrective Services NSW in relation to the conduct of the field trial.

(3) For the purposes of subsection (1), all of the following circumstances must exist:

(a)   either:

(i)                 the ACMA has not notified Corrective Services NSW in writing that all field trial participants are excluded from relying on this Determination; or

(ii)               the ACMA has notified Corrective Services NSW in writing that all field trial participants are excluded from relying on this Determination for a period specified in the notice and either:

(A)     the period specified, and any extension of that period, has expired; or

(B)     the notice has been withdrawn;

(b)   the act is done, or the omission occurs, for the purposes of the field trial; and

(c)   in the case of the use or operation of a nominated PMTS jamming device – the act or omission:

(i)  is done or occurs for the purpose of causing harmful interference to radiocommunications on designated frequencies in the field trial zone;

(ii) does not cause radio emissions above -128.5 dBm/kHz on non-designated frequencies outside the field trial zone; and

(iii) is done or occurs in accordance with the ARPANSA Standard.


 

Endnotes

Endnote 1—Legislation history

This endnote sets out details of the legislation history of the Radiocommunications (Field Trial by Corrective Services NSW of PMTS Jamming Devices at Lithgow Correctional Centre) Exemption Determination 2012.

Title

Date of notification
in Gazette or registration

Date of
commencement

Application, saving or
transitional provisions

Radiocommunications (Field Trial by Corrective Services NSW of PMTS Jamming Devices at Lithgow Correctional Centre) Exemption Determination 2012

 

20/12/2012 (see F2012L02561)

01/07/2013

 

Radiocommunications (Field Trial by Corrective Services NSW of PMTS Jamming Devices at Lithgow Correctional Centre) Exemption Amendment Determination 2014 (No. 1)  

20/06/2014 (see F2014L00771)

21/06/2014

 

 

Endnote 2 – Amendment History

This endnote sets out the amendment history of the Radiocommunications (Field Trial by Corrective Services NSW of PMTS Jamming Devices at Lithgow Correctional Centre) Exemption Determination 2012.

Ad. = added or inserted      am. = amended      rep. = repealed      rs. = repealed and substituted

Provision affected

How affected

s. 5 ………………………….

am. var. No.1 of 2014.

 

Overview

The Radiocommunications (Field Trial by Corrective Services NSW of PMTS Jamming Devices at Lithgow Correctional Centre) Exemption Determination 2012, enacted under subparagraph 27(1)(be)(ii) and subsection 27(2) of the Radiocommunications Act 1992, was introduced to facilitate a field trial conducted by Corrective Services New South Wales (CSNSW) to test the use of Public Mobile Telecommunication Service (PMTS) jamming devices at the Lithgow Correctional Centre. This trial aimed to assess the devices' effectiveness in preventing the use of mobile phones within the prison, thereby enhancing security measures. The exemption granted by this Determination allows CSNSW personnel and contractors involved in the field trial to use, operate, possess, or supply the specified jamming devices under certain conditions, exempting them from particular sections of the Radiocommunications Act 1992. This exemption is subject to compliance with the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency's standards to ensure safe radio emissions levels. The Determination was enacted by the Australian Communications and Media Authority and came into effect on 1 July 2013, expiring on 30 September 2014 unless otherwise extended.

Scope and Application

The Radiocommunications (Field Trial by Corrective Services NSW of PMTS Jamming Devices at Lithgow Correctional Centre) Exemption Determination 2012 provides a specific exemption under the Radiocommunications Act 1992 for Corrective Services NSW to conduct a field trial of Personal Mobile Telecommunications Service (PMTS) jamming devices at the Lithgow Correctional Centre. The exemption applies to any act or omission by a field trial participant in relation to the use, operation, possession, or supply of a nominated PMTS jamming device, exempting these activities from certain parts of the Act. A field trial participant is defined as a person performing a function or duty in relation to Corrective Services NSW, including members of CSNSW staff, contractors engaged in the field trial, or employees of such contractors. The exemption is subject to conditions, including the need for the act or omission to occur within the field trial zone, to be for the purposes of the trial, to cause harmful interference to radiocommunications on designated frequencies within the field trial zone, to not cause radio emissions above specified levels on non-designated frequencies outside the field trial zone, and to comply with the ARPANSA Standard. This Determination is in effect from 1 July 2013 until 30 September 2014, with amendments made in 2014, and it applies specifically to Corrective Services NSW within the Commonwealth jurisdiction.

Key Provisions

The Radiocommunications (Field Trial by Corrective Services NSW of PMTS Jamming Devices at Lithgow Correctional Centre) Exemption Determination 2012 (the Determination) provides specific exemptions from certain provisions of the Radiocommunications Act 1992 (the Act) for a field trial of Personal Mobile Telecommunications Service (PMTS) jamming devices conducted by Corrective Services New South Wales (Corrective Services NSW) at the Lithgow Correctional Centre. The Determination exempts field trial participants from Parts 3.1, 4.1 and 4.2 of the Act, which generally relate to the licensing of radiocommunications apparatus and the prohibition of unauthorised radiocommunications equipment. This exemption applies to any act or omission by field trial participants in relation to the use, operation, possession or supply of nominated PMTS jamming devices, provided certain conditions are met (section 6). The Determination imposes several obligations on the parties involved in the field trial. Corrective Services NSW must ensure that field trial participants use the nominated PMTS jamming devices in accordance with the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) Standard, and that these devices do not cause harmful interference to radiocommunications on designated frequencies within the field trial zone, nor emit radio emissions above -128.5 dBm/kHz on non-designated frequencies outside this zone (section 6(3)). The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has the authority to notify Corrective Services NSW in writing if all field trial participants are excluded from relying on the Determination, and this notification can specify a period during which the exemption will not apply (section 6(3)(a)). Failure to comply with the conditions set out in the Determination may result in harmful interference to radiocommunications, which is defined in the Act as interference that obstructs, repeatedly interrupts, or seriously degrades radiocommunications. While the Determination itself does not specify penalties for non-compliance, breaches of the Act may result in civil or criminal penalties, including fines. The specific penalties would depend on the nature and severity of the breach, as well as any relevant provisions in the Act or other applicable legislation.

Legal classification tags

Area of Law
Communications Law
Instrument
Legislative Instrument
Concepts
Definitions & Interpretation
Regulatory Standards
Prohibited Conduct

Interactions

Authorises

All Versions

Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation at 26 August 2026. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to https://www.legislation.gov.au.