Telephone Regulations (Amendment)

Legislation au C1965L00021 Regulations Not in force Legislative Instrument

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STATUTORY RULES.

1965. No 21.

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REGULATIONS UNDER THE POST AND TELEGRAPH ACT 1901-1961.*

I, THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL in and over the Commonwealth of Australia, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, hereby make the following Regulations under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1961.

Dated this 15th day of February, 1965

DE L’ISLE

Governor-General.

By His Excellency’s Command,

Postmaster-General

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Amendments of the Telephone Regulations.†

Parts.

1. Regulation 3 of the Telephone Regulations is amended by omitting the words—

“Division 1a.—Manual Trunk Calls (Regulations 133b-144a).” and inserting in their stead the words—

“Division 1a.—Manual Trunk Calls (Regulations 133b-144aa).”.

Definitions.

2. Regulation 4 of the Telephone Regulations is amended—

(a) by inserting after the definition of “Classified section” the following definition:—

“‘Credit card’ means a subsisting card issued by the Department to a subscriber for use in connexion with the charging of trunk calls (other than calls from a place outside Australia) and telegrams, but does not include such a card that the Department has requested the subscriber to return to the Department;”;

(b) by inserting after the definition of “Exclusive service” the following definition:—

“‘Holder’, in relation to a credit card or an overseas credit card, means the subscriber to whom the credit card or overseas credit card, as the case may be, was issued by the Department;”; and

(c) by inserting after the definition of “Office” the following definition:—

“‘Overseas credit card’ means a subsisting card issued by the Department to a subscriber for use in connexion with the charging of telephone calls made from a

 

* Notified in the Commonwealth Gazette on 25 February 1965.

† Statutory Rules 1927, No. 145 as amended to date. For previous amendments of the Telephone Regulations, see footnote †to Statutory Rules 1965 No. 11 and see also Statutory Rules 1965, Nos. 11 and 14.

13076/63.—Price 9d. 9/23.10.1964.


place outside Australia to a place within Australia, but does not include such a card that the Department has requested the subscriber to return to the Department;”.

Access to premises by Departmental employees.

3. Regulation 49 of the Telephone Regulations is amended—

(a) by inserting after the word “inspection,” the words “testing, repair,”; and

(b) by adding at the end thereof the following sub-regulations:—

“(2.) If the occupier of premises of a subscriber refuses, without reasonable excuse, to grant to employees of the Department referred to in the last preceding sub-regulation access to the premises for a purpose specified in that sub-regulation, the subscriber is liable to pay to the Department an amount equal to the value of the telephone and other apparatus belonging to the Department that are in the premises.

“(3.) In any proceedings, a certificate purporting to be signed by the Director-General of Posts and Telegraphs or an officer authorized by him and specifying the value of a telephone or other apparatus belonging to the Department that is in premises specified in the certificate is evidence that the value specified is the value of that telephone or apparatus.”.

Joint use of telephones.

4. Regulation 57 of the Telephone Regulations is amended by omitting sub-regulation (2.) and inserting in its stead the following sub-regulation:—

“(2.) The subscriber and the other person using the telephone service are jointly and severally liable to pay all charges in connexion with the service, but nothing in this regulation affects the respective rights and liabilities of the subscriber and the other person as between themselves in respect of any such charges.”.

Illegal use of public telephones.

5. Regulation 123 of the Telephone Regulations is amended by omitting from sub-regulation (1.) the word “A” and inserting in its stead the words “Subject to regulations 135a and 135b of these Regulations, a”.

Liability of subscriber.

6. Regulation 129 of the Telephone Regulations is amended by omitting the words “The subscriber” and inserting in their stead the words “Subject to regulations 135a and 135b of these Regulations, the subscriber”.

Trunk calls from subscriber’s telephone.

7. Regulation 134 of the Telephone Regulations is amended by omitting from sub-regulation (2.) the words “The fee” and inserting in their stead the words “Subject to regulations 135a and 135b of these Regulations, the fee”.

Calls from public telephones.

8. Regulation 135 of the Telephone Regulations is amended by omitting the word “Trunk” and inserting in its stead the words “Subject to the next two succeeding regulations, trunk”.

9. After regulation 135 of the Telephone Regulations the following regulations are inserted:—

Trunk calls by holders of credit cards.

“135a.—(1.) Where a holder of a credit card or a person authorized by a holder of a credit card—

(a) orders a trunk call from the telephone of another subscriber or from a public telephone; and

(b) at the time the call is ordered, requests the telephonist at the calling exchange to charge the call to the telephone account of the holder of the credit card and informs the telephonist of the number of the credit card,

the fee payable for the call is payable by the holder of the credit card and shall be included in an account rendered to him in accordance with regulation 40 of these Regulations.

“(2.) A person who orders a trunk call shall not request the telephonist at the calling exchange to charge the call to the telephone account of another person unless the first-mentioned person is authorized by that other person to make the request.

Penalty: Twenty-five pounds.

Reversed charge trunk calls.

“135b.—(1.) Where—

(a) a person who orders a trunk call from the telephone of a subscriber or a public telephone to the telephone of another subscriber requests, at the time the call is ordered, that the charges be reversed; and

(b) the person who answers the telephone to which the call is made or the person to whom the call is made is informed of the request before receiving the call and, on being so informed, agrees to accept the call,

the fee payable for the call is payable by the subscriber to whose telephone the call was made.

“(2.) Where, by virtue of the last preceding sub-regulation, the fee payable for a trunk call is payable by the subscriber to whose telephone the call was made, a fee of One shilling is also payable by that subscriber in addition to the fee payable for the call.”.

Calls to particular person.

10. Regulation 141 of the Telephone Regulations is amended by omitting from sub-regulation (1.) the word “Efforts” and inserting in its stead the words “Except where the caller requests, in accordance with regulation 135b of these Regulations, that the charges be reversed, efforts”.

Calls made from outside Australia by holders of overseas credit cards.

11. After regulation 144a of the Telephone Regulations the following regulation is inserted in Division 1a of Part VII.;—

“144aa. Where the Commonwealth pays or is liable to pay to the government of, or to an authority in, a place outside Australia an amount in respect of a call made from that place to a place within Australia by a holder of an overseas credit card or a person authorized by a holder of an overseas credit card, an amount equal to that amount is payable by the holder of the overseas credit card to the Department and shall be included in an account rendered to him in accordance with regulation 40 of these Regulations.”.

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By Authority: A. J. Arthur, Commonwealth Government Printer, Canberra.

Overview

The Post and Telegraph Regulations 1965, enacted by the Governor-General in Council, serve as amendments to the existing Telephone Regulations under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1961. This legislative instrument introduces a range of amendments designed to update and clarify the regulatory framework governing telephone services, including adjustments to manual trunk call regulations, the introduction of definitions for credit and overseas credit cards, and modifications to the liability of subscribers for unauthorised use of telephone services. The primary objective of these amendments is to ensure that the regulatory environment remains efficient and responsive to the evolving needs of telecommunications services in Australia. These Regulations also address specific issues such as the liability for denying Department employees access to subscriber premises for inspection, testing, or repair, the joint liability of subscribers and other users of telephone services for associated charges, and the conditions under which calls can be charged to credit or overseas credit cards. Furthermore, the Regulations clarify the process for reversed charge trunk calls and the payment of fees for calls made from outside Australia. This legislative update aims to provide clarity and ensure that the regulatory framework supports the smooth operation of telephone services while protecting the interests of both the Department and the subscribers.

Scope and Application

The Statutory Rules 1965 No. 21, made under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1961, amends the Telephone Regulations to refine and update various aspects of telecommunications services provided by the Department of Posts and Telegraphs. The regulations apply to subscribers, the Department, and other entities involved in telecommunications services within Australia. The amendments clarify definitions related to credit cards and overseas credit cards, extend the authority of Department employees to include testing and repair in addition to inspection of premises, and adjust liability provisions for trunk calls, including the circumstances under which fees are payable by credit card holders or subscribers to whose telephone the call was made. The regulations also introduce new provisions regarding the illegal use of public telephones and the joint use of telephones, specifying the joint liability of subscribers and other users. Certain exclusions and conditions apply, particularly in relation to credit card use and reversed charge calls. The amendments do not alter the geographic or jurisdictional reach of the original Act but instead refine operational aspects of telecommunications services.

Key Provisions

The Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1961 has been amended through Statutory Rules 1965, No 21, which introduces various changes to the Telephone Regulations. These amendments include the renumbering of certain regulations related to manual trunk calls (Regulations 133b-144aa) and the addition of new definitions for terms such as "Credit card," "Holder," and "Overseas credit card" (Regulation 4). These definitions clarify the types of cards issued by the Department for specific purposes and the individuals who hold these cards. Additionally, Regulation 49 has been updated to allow Departmental employees not only inspection but also testing and repair of subscriber premises, with consequences for occupiers who unreasonably deny access (Regulation 49(2) and (3)). The amended regulations impose specific obligations on subscribers, such as jointly bearing the cost of telephone services used by others (Regulation 57(2)) and ensuring that their premises are accessible for Departmental activities (Regulation 49). Subscribers are also required to be aware of and comply with the rules regarding credit card usage for trunk calls, including ensuring that only authorized individuals request charges be applied to credit card accounts (Regulation 135a(2)). Furthermore, subscribers must ensure that they, or their authorized representatives, follow the correct procedures for making and receiving trunk calls, especially when it comes to reversed charge calls (Regulations 135b and 141(1)). Breach of these regulations can result in various consequences. For instance, subscribers who refuse access to their premises for inspection, testing, or repair may be held liable for the value of any Departmental apparatus damaged (Regulation 49(2)). There are also financial penalties for misuse of credit cards in making trunk calls; individuals who request charges to be applied to another person's credit card account without authorization face a penalty of twenty-five pounds (Regulation 135a(2)). Additionally, subscribers who agree to reversed charge calls must pay not only the call fee but also an additional fee of one shilling (Regulation 135b(2)). Failure to adhere to these provisions can thus result in both financial penalties and legal repercussions.

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Communications Law
Instrument
Regulation
Concepts
Definitions & Interpretation
Liability of subscriber
Reporting & Disclosure Obligations

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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.