ACMA good service

[VK6ADF]

Not often a government agency does something that surprises me but it happened today.

I recently moved and in the back of my mind has been a thought about changing my address details with ACMA. Today I received my license renewal via email. That in itself surprised me as I did not know that was going to happen. A year ago (maybe 2 years ago) I misplaced (ok lost) my renewal notice so emailed the ACMA to see if they could tell me the reference number so I could pay it by bpay. Then I was sent a PDF copy of my renewal.

Today this years renewal was received via email as a PDF. Big surprise as I had not requested it. Maybe the renewal was sent to the old address and it was returned so someone sent it via email, I don't know. The address on the renewal was the old one so I emailed ACMA advising of new details.

Less then one hour later, received notification the database had been updated with new details. I would say that was good service from a government agency of the type I have never heard of before. I thought perhaps a day or two, not less then one hour.

So I say praise when it is due.

[VK2LK]

Hear hear!

The last renewal/call sign change I did with them was great. The lady on the phone was very helpful, got the issues sorted and the database was updated that afternoon.

I was pleasantly surprised at the level of service also.

[VK3FADZ]

Great to hear. When I passed my foundation course I was waiting for weeks to have my license come through, checking the website continually, and seeing nothing.

In the end I gave the ACMA a call, and talked to a lovely lady that was there. She was most helpful and willing, and had a quick look, found the paperwork for my license and processed it within minutes. She was extremely polite as well. It was no trouble for her at all...

Now we have a ACMA inspector willing to travel hundreds of kms to a small country town, come to our club and do a presentation for us. I know some people here have expressed they haven't been very happy with the ACMA regulators as such, and I can't comment on that - but as for the people 'on the ground' doing the work - so far the only experience I have had has been nothing short of brilliant.

[VK3DXE]

I've always found the staff in the ACMA office(s) to be most helpful and professional - a VERY welcome departure from the majority of government departments' "front ends" I have to deal with on a regular basis.

When I came back into the hobby a few years back after some time away, and found that things had changed quite dramatically (WIA handling callsign allocation, intro of Foundation, etc., etc.), plus I couldn't find my AOCP certificate, the girls in the office gave me very clear and unambiguous advice and assistance. I was back on air with minimal delay and minimal stress.

[VK4CDI]

I applied for an EME high power permit 12 months ago. After an initial phone call from an RI, nil was forthcoming. I thought maybe I should check out what was happening, so a couple of weeks ago I phoned, only to be told there was no record of the intial application. I emailed a copy, and within a few hours, all sorted......I was impressed. Wonder if we had a free licence whether the service would be as good?

Well done ACMA....


Phil VK4CDI

[VK5ZD]

Well done ACMA....

Well done??
I suppose it is if you ignore the fact that they lost it in the first place.

[VK4CDI]

Maybe if I had followed it up earlier.....
Point is it was sorted quickly......

Cheers

Phil VK4CDI

[VK2AVR]

Everyone makes mistakes, the point is when it was brought to their attention it was corrected quickly.

I've had good service from the ACMA as well - the last 2 years I've paid them $70 or so and they've given me frequency ranges up and down the bands to play with to my heart's content. Bravo, ACMA!

[VK2AAH]

I also had feedback from a VK7 that an application I forwarded through to ACMA had been completed by them in under 7 days... that is pretty good. We better not congratulate them too loudly lest someone question whether they are over-staffed... after all we all can't love them, that would be unnatural...

Cheers

Richard

[VK3AJH]

I concur.... I renewed my licence and gained the call sign but the "system' did not pick up on my request for a particular call sign
The family of the former holder had generously allowed me to have that call sign which had been advised to the ACMA at a time when the WIA was not in the middle of all of that
Very promptly fixed by the ACMA

I am concerned now there is an extra administrative layer inserted into the system. This is an action very similar to MARA
The Migration Agent Registration Australia was partially handed over to the migration agents association (MIA)
After several years the Department of Immigration withdrew that and took responsibility and accountability back into their fold

The parallels of having an external body administer government functions with their left hand to maintain confidentiality etc exist
They have carry out their other functions with their right hand gives rise to concern about not being completely impartial
To me it reeks of administrative cost cutting by transfer of what was routine work to an external body with extra costs borne by the amateurs.

Whilst I am some other reservations about how the ACMA administer the Radiocommunications Act I would much prefer to deal with the ACMA

73's

Alan

PS I forgot to mention that my ticket is more than 40 years old now.... good old VK5N......