Ms McCARTHY - 2007-02-22
Can the minister provide the House with details of any bids made under Broadband Connect that would affect the Territory?
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Arnhem for her question. I can confirm that, following consultation with the Department of Corporate and Information Services, Telstra has placed a bid for Broadband Connect. A component of that bid seeks funding for improved telecommunication services in the Northern Territory. The important point to make here is that it is a national bid and it does incorporate part of the Northern Territory component which, effectively, is about upgrading broadband to communities across the Northern Territory.
I met with the Chief Executive Officer of Telstra, Mr Sol Trujillo on 15 December to discuss matters relevant to Telstra in the Northern Territory and matters around that bid. On the morning of the discussions, there were some concerns because media reports indicated that perhaps Telstra might not wish to proceed with the bill. However, it was a very constructive meeting and I appreciate the decision by Telstra, by Sol Trujillo, to incorporate the NT bid as part of the broader bid. I also thank officers from my department – Les Hodgson and others - who did put in a lot of hard work to get to that stage.
It is important to report, member for Arnhem, that I spoke in the House yesterday about the Broadband ASDL initiative at Yuendumu, which is in the member for Stuart’s electorate – a very important one. What it highlights is that people at places like Yuendumu and other remote communities should have the same certainty – I use these words all the time – the same opportunity, to be able to access information communications technology at the same price as people in Darwin, Adelaide or Melbourne. The bottom line is that the communities do have the capacity. The most important thing is that Telstra has the will and the commitment to be able to do it, so that is a great outcome.
I acknowledge Mr Mark Sweet, the Country Wide Area General Manager in the Northern Territory. I know Mark has worked very hard with officers from the Department of Corporate and Information Services to get this proposal up. Thank you to all of those people for their ongoing commitment to the Northern Territory.
There is a bigger issue here too, which is very important. There is a federal election coming up, and sometimes the Northern Territory gets caught up in the biddings that occur on the eastern seaboard or where the population base or, indeed, where the seats are. To that effect, officers in my department have worked very hard to engage community support right across the Northern Territory, from land councils, the Cattlemen’s Association, the Chamber of Commerce, and a whole host of others, trying to impress upon the Commonwealth government and Senator Coonan just how important it is to the Northern Territory in terms of improved communications. Accordingly, I ask minister Scullion and Mr David Tollner to apply the same rigour. I am sure they will, on behalf of all Territorians, to ensure that we get this bid up.
Members: Hear, hear!
ANSWER
Madam Speaker, I thank the member for Arnhem for her question. I can confirm that, following consultation with the Department of Corporate and Information Services, Telstra has placed a bid for Broadband Connect. A component of that bid seeks funding for improved telecommunication services in the Northern Territory. The important point to make here is that it is a national bid and it does incorporate part of the Northern Territory component which, effectively, is about upgrading broadband to communities across the Northern Territory.
I met with the Chief Executive Officer of Telstra, Mr Sol Trujillo on 15 December to discuss matters relevant to Telstra in the Northern Territory and matters around that bid. On the morning of the discussions, there were some concerns because media reports indicated that perhaps Telstra might not wish to proceed with the bill. However, it was a very constructive meeting and I appreciate the decision by Telstra, by Sol Trujillo, to incorporate the NT bid as part of the broader bid. I also thank officers from my department – Les Hodgson and others - who did put in a lot of hard work to get to that stage.
It is important to report, member for Arnhem, that I spoke in the House yesterday about the Broadband ASDL initiative at Yuendumu, which is in the member for Stuart’s electorate – a very important one. What it highlights is that people at places like Yuendumu and other remote communities should have the same certainty – I use these words all the time – the same opportunity, to be able to access information communications technology at the same price as people in Darwin, Adelaide or Melbourne. The bottom line is that the communities do have the capacity. The most important thing is that Telstra has the will and the commitment to be able to do it, so that is a great outcome.
I acknowledge Mr Mark Sweet, the Country Wide Area General Manager in the Northern Territory. I know Mark has worked very hard with officers from the Department of Corporate and Information Services to get this proposal up. Thank you to all of those people for their ongoing commitment to the Northern Territory.
There is a bigger issue here too, which is very important. There is a federal election coming up, and sometimes the Northern Territory gets caught up in the biddings that occur on the eastern seaboard or where the population base or, indeed, where the seats are. To that effect, officers in my department have worked very hard to engage community support right across the Northern Territory, from land councils, the Cattlemen’s Association, the Chamber of Commerce, and a whole host of others, trying to impress upon the Commonwealth government and Senator Coonan just how important it is to the Northern Territory in terms of improved communications. Accordingly, I ask minister Scullion and Mr David Tollner to apply the same rigour. I am sure they will, on behalf of all Territorians, to ensure that we get this bid up.
Members: Hear, hear!
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016