Quigley promises Sen. Macdonald a study on Julia Creek broadband
16/05/11
After questioning at the first hearing of the Parliamentary Joint Standing Committee on the NBN in Sydney today, NBN boss Mike Quigley told North Queensland-based Senator Ian Macdonald that he would do a special study of the cost of providing NBN to Julia Creek.
Julia Creek has the NBN main fibre line passing through the town but locals have been told they won’t be able to connect up and will have to rely on wireless or satellite.
“I have long been concerned with the service that Northern and Remote Australia might receive from the Gillard/Brown Government and I have no confidence that the Government will do any better with the roll-out of NBN that it has done with the roll-out of pink batts or school halls – or now digital set-top boxes,“ Sen. Macdonald said.
“The McKinlay Council had written to the committee asking why they were not going to be connected to a line which runs through Julia Creek.
“Following my questioning at the Committee today, Mr Quigley advised that there was an incremental cost on servicing small communities which he said NBN Co. could assess and advise a local council what it would cost them if they wanted the NBN connected.
“Julia Creek is excluded following Senator Conroy’s advice that only towns of 1000 residences or more would be connected,” said Sen. Macdonald.
“It amazes me that the ‘incremental cost ‘ for a place like Julia Creek would be all that different to a connection to Charters Towers or Cloncurry,” he said.
“Following my questions, Mr Quigley agreed to do a special case study on Julia Creek.”
Sen. Macdonald said he was hopeful the Government would be able to subsidise such a cost rather than expect small remote communities to pay for a service that capital city residents get for free.
“While the Coalition’s view on the exorbitant cost of the NBN is well known, I have to accept the reality that the network is being rolled out and I want to make sure that northerners are treated no differently to other Australians,” he said.
“This is important not only to Julia Creek but to all smaller communities right throughout Australia.
“As the Coalition spokesman on Northern and Remote Australia I am determined to ensure that we in the North are not left behind the rest of Australia,” Sen. Macdonald said.