On Friday 27 May the University of NSW confirmed that it would no longer fund or accommodate the Communications Law Centre (CLC). The Alliance was greatly disappointed to hear the news and has written to the University’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Mark Wainwright, urging him to reconsider the decision. Over the course of CLC’s 17 years, it has lent invaluable expertise to our many public inquiries, reviews and media campaigns.

The Alliance considers the CLC to be Australia’s leading specialist organisation covering legal and regulatory issues in media from a public interest perspective. As we enter a crucial period for the future of media policy, the absence of services provided by the CLC will be acutely felt throughout the industry and the wider public.

While the CLC will continue at Victoria University, the Melbourne office is significantly smaller and the Centre’s policy work on issues such as media ownership and cash for comment has traditionally come out of the Sydney office.

Since its establishment in 1988, the CLC by virtue of its research, policy work and education has played a critical role in maintaining a functioning democracy. Closing the Centre will be a major blow to our industry and the Australian public.

We ask members to write to UNSW Vice-Chancellor, Professor Mark Wainwright (email: m.wainwright@unsw.edu.au cc to admin@comslaw.org.au), stressing the importance of the Centre and urging the University to reconsider its decision.