The ABA has allocated a new community radio licence in Tumut, New South Wales to Montreal Community Theatre Inc (Montreal Community).

The Tumut service, already on air under a temporary community licence, will broadcast on FM 96.3 from 16 October.

Montreal Community was the only applicant for the licence.

Down the road in Perisher a new narrowcasting service for safety broadcasts has also been approved on FM 94.3 with a coverage radius of 20 kilometres.

The decision is contained in a variation to the Cooma radio licence area plan.

The ABA will generally issue transmitter licences to provide open narrowcasting services under a price-based allocation system determined under section 106 of the Radiocommunications Act.

In this case however the ABA has deferred a decision on the allocation process until further information is received and further consideration is given to possible options for making spectrum available specifically for safety purposes.