Telstra Corporation and Other Legislation Amendment 2021

✦ Plain-English Summary

# Telstra Corporation and Other Legislation Amendment 2021

## What it does

This bill updates the laws that govern Telstra, Australia's largest telecommunications company. It makes changes to how Telstra operates under telecommunications regulations and updates rules around tower access, emergency services, and consumer protections. Some changes only kick in if Telstra restructures its corporate ownership (moving assets between two related companies).

## Why it matters

These changes affect the rules Telstra must follow when providing phone and internet services, including how other companies can access Telstra's infrastructure like phone towers. They also touch on emergency call services and consumer protections, so they could indirectly affect how reliably Australians can access phone and internet services.

## Key details

- **Immediate changes**: Most updates come into effect the day after the bill becomes law, covering things like tower access rules and service standards
- **Conditional changes**: Some amendments only apply if Telstra restructures its company ownership (splitting Telstra Corporation Limited into two entities) — these won't happen unless approved by a Federal Court
- **What's covered**: The bill modifies five main pieces of legislation including the Telecommunications Act 1997 and the Competition and Consumer Act 2010

Official Description

Amends: the Telecommunications Act 1997 to: define Telstra successor companies and designated Telstra successor entities and replace references to Telstra with references to the successor entities; allow the Minister and Australian Communications and Media Authority to make determinations relating to the designated successor entities; and make technical and consequential amendments; Telstra Corporation Act 2001 to extend existing regulations relating to the operation and ownership of Telstra to its successor entities; the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 to: extend existing regulations relating to the operation and ownership of Telstra to its successor entities; and make consequential amendments; the Telecommunications (Consumer Protection and Service Standards) Act 1999 to: extend the Minister's powers to impose service provider obligations to Telstra's successor entities and retail price controls on each successor entity; and make consequential technical amendments; and amends three regulations, four determinations and a code of access in relation to ownership of Telstra shares, access to telecommunications infrastructure, carrier licence conditions, emergency call persons and services, real estate development exemptions, arbitration and sunsetting.

Committee Referrals

Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee; Senate Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Bills

Full bill PDF →APH page →

Audit History

Introduced

21 Oct 2021

Last updated on APH

10 Apr 2026

Outcome date

13 Dec 2021

Last checked by Crossbench

2 days ago

Full text indexed

2 days ago

🗳️

No formal division recorded

This bill passed by voice vote — parliament agreed without calling a formal count. A division is only recorded when a member explicitly requests one.

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