Throughout this Report, the Committee has highlighted the over-concentration of ABC resources in Sydney and the need for a permanent re-location of services and functions away from head office.
In March 1999, the Committee released a Discussion Paper titled "ABC Production: Discussion Paper on the Future of ABC Television Production."
The Discussion Paper was an attempt to achieve such a permanent re-location and to determine the extent to which the ABC is committed to a de-centralisation of resources.
Briefly, the Discussion Paper outlined the benefits to the ABC and Victoria if the ABC re-located the majority of its non-news and current affairs television production to Melbourne. In effect, such a move would have changed the Sydney - Melbourne staff distribution balance from the present 52% to 16% to something like 40% to 28%. Further details of the Paper are set out below.
The Committee was concerned that from the moment the Paper was released, the ABC had set out to dismiss the Committee's proposal and to pursue its plan to construct a $122 million complex adjacent to its Sydney Ultimo head office.
