When will analog TV be turned off in my area?

The day is slowly approaching when analog free-to-air terrestrial TV broadcasts will become a faint memory, like Betamax and Bakelite. The question is: when will the TV stations in your home town switch off their analog transmissions and become digital only?

Please note adjustments have been made to the below schedule. For best information visit the government’s Digital Ready website where you can type in your address details and get an accurate date for your location.

So far, the switchover has been limited to regional areas of Victoria, Queensland and South Australia, with capital cities as yet unaffected. The process culminates on New Year’s Day 2014, when Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide will finally join the rest of Australia in the digital-only era.

Government help

With TV prices seemingly falling by the day, and many digital set-top boxes costing less than the price of a Sydney parking fine, switching over to digital TV is a fairly inexpensive process. The Federal Government does offer assistance, though, in the form of an HD set-top box, some guidance and a year-long warranty, as well as antenna installation or modification.

The scheme, however, is only available to those who are receiving the age pension, disability-support pension, carer payment, Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA) support pension or DVA income-support supplement. For more information, check out the government’s info on the Household Assistance Scheme.

Upcoming switchover dates by state

Queensland

Date Region Key cities
30 June 2013 Brisbane, South East Queensland Brisbane, Gold Coast and Noosa
H2 2013 Remote Queensland Mount Isa, Charleville, Roma

New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory

Date Region Key cities
5 June 2012 Griffith/Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area Griffith, Hay
5 June 2012 South West Slopes and Eastern Riverina Wagga Wagga
5 June 2012 Illawarra and the South Coast Wollongong, Ulladulla, Eden
5 June 2012 Central Tablelands and Central Western Slopes Dubbo, Orange
5 June 2012 ACT and Southern Tablelands Canberra, Thredbo, Cooma
27 Nov 2012 North West Slopes and Plains Tamworth, Armidale, Inverell
27 Nov 2012 Richmond / Tweed Byron Bay, Tenterfield, Lismore
27 Nov 2012 Northern Rivers Coffs Harbour, Forster and Grafton
27 Nov 2012 Hunter Newcastle, Port Stephens
H2 2013 Remote NSW Cobar, Bourke
31 Dec 2013 Sydney Sydney, Gosford, Katoomba

Victoria

Date Region Key cities
H2 2013 Remote Victoria Murrayville, Benambra
31 Dec 2013 Melbourne and Port Philip Bay Melbourne, Geelong, Mornington Peninsula

Tasmania

Date Region Key cities
H1 2013 Tasmania Hobart, Launceston, King Island

South Australia

Date Region Key cities
H2 2013 Remote SA Coober Pedy, Oodnadatta, Maralinga
31 Dec 2013 Adelaide Adelaide

Western Australia

Date Region Key cities
30 June 2013 Perth Perth, Mandulah, Clarkson
H2 2013 Regional and remote WA Kalgoorlie, Broome, Bunbury

Northern Territory

Date Region Key cities
H2 2013 Northern Territory Darwin, Alice Springs, Katherine, Tennant Creek

Regions that have already switched over

Date State Region Key cities
30 June 2010 VIC Mildura and Sunraysia Mildura
15 Dec 2010 NSW Broken Hill Broken Hill
15 Dec 2010 SA Riverland Renmark and Loxton
15 Dec 2010 SA Mt Gambier and the south east Mt Gambier, Naracoorte, Bordertown
15 Dec 2010 SA Spencer Gulf Port Lincoln, Whyalla, Port Augusta
5 May 2011 VIC Gippsland Traralgon, Bairnsdale, Mallacoota
5 May 2011 VIC North Central Victoria Bendigo, Swan Hill
5 May 2011 VIC South West Victoria Ballarat, Warrnambool, Horsham
5 May 2011 VIC Goulburn Valley and Upper Murray Albury/Wodonga, Wangaratta, Shepparton
6 Dec 2011 QLD Wide Bay Hervey Bay, Bundaberg, Maryborough
6 Dec 2011 QLD Capricornia Rockhampton, Emerald, Yeppoon
6 Dec 2011 QLD Central Coast and Whitsundays Mackay, Proserpine, Bowen
6 Dec 2011 QLD Darling Downs Toowoomba, Warwick and Dalby
6 Dec 2011 QLD North Queensland Townsville, Ayr, Charters Towers
6 Dec 2011 QLD Far North Queensland Cairns, Port Douglas, Innisfail

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