Abstract

The Charles Todd Oration is an annual event run by TelSoc and is named for Charles Todd, the Postmaster-General of South Australia, who was responsible for completing the Overland Telegraph Line from Darwin to Adelaide in 1872. The 2023 Oration was delivered in Sydney on 12 October 2023 by the author, Rob Nicholls, and was introduced by Communications Minister Michelle Rowland MP. The Oration examined the challenge of novelty to regulators. It looked at history of regulating innovation, promotion of innovation in the context of consumer protection, how regulators can deal with innovation, and minimising consumer harm.