Begun in 1978 to provide Queensland's South-West and Central Priority Country schools with a comprehensive maintenance and repair service for most audio-visual equipment, the Technical Maintenance Officer Service (TMO) serves 76 schools with total enrollment exceeding 13,000 pupils dispersed over a 469,000 square kilometer area. Two trained officers, equipped with station wagons and a range of specialist equipment, regularly visit each school 3-4 times each year, obviating the problem of transporting delicate electronic equipment to distant service centers and reducing "out of action" time. The officers also offer technical expertise on the selection, use, and treatment of equipment. First year operational expenses totaled $43,000, plus an establishment cost of $16,000 for vehicles and equipment. Salary increases and inflation brought the 1981-82 budget to almost $86,000. A comparison of equipment repairs and breakdown indicates there is no significant differences between downtimes (1.5 week average) for the Central and South-West Regions, but downtimes for non-TMO serviced schools are considerably higher (3.5 weeks). A survey indicates TMO serviced schools are very satisfied. TMO benefits include maximum use of resources, cost savings through not having to freight equipment for repair, and the value of having staff informed about proper equipment care and operation. (NEC)