[UK-CONTEST] New Zealand licensing

[Chris Tran ZL1CT]

Hello all

Clive GW3NJW wrote :-
> Did you see that the ZL authorities have already implemented a licence for
life?

This comes into effect next month here, but there are some snags. I'm not
100% sure of the reasoning, but I think the ZL licensing authorities are
taking the pragmatic view that the amateur service is now a 'sideline' and
not a real future revenue source - I'm guessing that the same situation
exists in the U.K. ?

The problem is that the NZ authorities are still charging licence fees for
all beacons and repeaters (there are many more repeaters here per head of
amateur population than in the UK) so the current debate is how these
licence fees can be paid - not all ZL stations are members of the national
society (the NZART) so as things stand it would be NZART members having to
pay for something that non-members can use for free. At the NZART National
Convention this weekend (which I'm not going to) this will be the main topic
of conversation I'm sure. It looks like dozens of ZL repeaters will be
closing down unless some compromise can be reached.

I've not fully absorbed what OFCOM are proposing in the U.K., but personally
would welcome a 'free' licence for life, even if 'free' means paying the
RSGB or whoever for admin costs.

73
Chris
ZL1CT (GM3WOJ)