Mount Gambier commercial station, 5SE, has come under fire from local politicians and the MEAA for plans to downsize its newsroom and move that station’s news service to Bendigo.

National Party Member for the area, Noel Maughan , has slammed the decision by Macquarie Regional Radio Works to merge the Bendigo and Mt Gambier newsrooms saying:

“It is my understanding that the effect of the merger will be that all bulletins for radio 3BO in Bendigo and 5SE in Mount Gambier will come out of the Bendigo office and will be prepared by only one journalist, rather than the present situation of one journalist in each newsroom.”

He believes the move will mean a reduction of local news in the Mount Gambier region.

The Federal Member for the Seat of Barker Patrick Secker, who believes the changes are happening this month, has called on Macquarie Regional Radio Works to “come clean about their plan to close local news services at 5SE and Star FM.”

“It is ridiculous to think that 5SE can offer the same service to the people of the South East by running their newsroom out of Bendigo. There is a half hour time delay for a start… Radio 5SE… is one of the few stations in the region to provide local news.”

The Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance’s Pat O’Donnell has also criticised Macquarie Regional Radio Works, saying the planned move will “seriously affect” the news services of both communities. He says it will “inevitably reduce the local nature of the news programs” because there is “no community of interest” between the two areas.

“The Alliance believes that holders of radio licences, as trustees of a public asset, have a responsibility to allocate such resources as are necessary to produce news services that deliver programs that are local, competitive, balanced and timely,” says O’Donnell.