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Legislative Council - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-04-29 Daily Xml
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BROADBAND ACCESS

The Hon. DAVID WINDERLICH (15:43): Despite the hype, grand announcements and drawn-out tendering process, the Rudd government's national broadband network falls well short of its election promise to deliver broadband access to 98 per cent of Australians. In fact, more than 100 South Australian towns and communities will be neglected under the proposed plan. These communities, in order to survive and prosper, need to diversify their economies and provide a wide range of services—and broadband can help to do that.

I wish to direct the attention of members to the host of regional communities that have been entirely overlooked. They have been told that, in order to access broadband, they will need to sign up for a satellite internet package. However, these internet packages at current market rates cost consumers more than twice that which is charged for fibre optic network access, with around only one-tenth the speed.

The following towns will be completely ignored by Rudd's national broadband network. Many of them are towns with which members would be familiar. They are: Amata, Auburn, Blanchetown, Bute, Clarendon, Coonalpyn, Echunga, Eudunda, Gumeracha, Houghton, Kersbrook, Leigh Creek, McLaren Flat, Milang, Mount Burr, Nangwarry, One Tree Hill, Penneshaw, Port Germein, Port Wakefield, Silver Sands, Stansbury, Tarpeena, Uraidla, Wilmington, Yankalilla, American River, Balhannah, Blyth, Cadell, Cleve, Cowell, Edithburgh, Fisherman's Bay, Hamley Bridge, Indulkana, Kimba, Lucindale, Meadows, Mimili, Mount Compass, Napperby, Orroroo, Pinnaroo, Port McDonnell, Riverton, Snowtown, Summertown, Tintinara, Virginia, Wirrabara, Andamooka Opal Fields, Beachport, Booleroo Centre, Callington, Cobdogla, Cummins, Elliston, Gladstone, Hawker, Kalangadoo, Lameroo, Macclesfield, Meningie, Minlaton, Mount Pleasant, Normanville, Owen, Point Turton, Port Victoria, Roseworthy, Spalding, Swan Reach, Truro, Warooka, Woomera, Arno Bay, Birdwood, Burra, Carrickalinga, Coffin Bay, Dublin, Ernabella, Greenock, Hindmarsh Island, Karoonda, Laura, Mallala, Middleton, Morgan, Mount Torrens, Oakbank, Paringa, Port Broughton, Port Vincent, Saddleworth, Springton, Tantanoola, Two Wells, Wasleys and Wudinna. If I have missed any, call them out!

As members can see, the Rudd government has failed to support regional communities when they need it most. We would expect the federal government to match words with action and provide the high speed network it promised to 98 per cent of Australians. They should either be connected to fibre broadband or the satellite cost should be subsidised. The Rann government, as the Hon. Caroline Schaefer pointed out yesterday, should take up this issue for rural South Australia with the federal government and lobby the federal government to get a fair deal for these communities.

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