Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy—

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

John Hogg (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! Question time is not being assisted by the interjections and comments from both sides.

Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Conroy. Can the minister provide the Senate with an update on the federal government’s Regional Backbone Blackspots Program in Western Australia?

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank Senator Sterle for his ongoing interest in this issue. The Gillard government’s $250 million Regional Backbone Blackspots Program continues to deliver for rural and regional Australia in a way that those opposite, particularly those down in the far corner from the Nationals—the country cousins of the Liberals—were never able to deliver. This program is helping to deliver the first building blocks of the National Broadband Network on the mainland of Australia through the rollout of 6,000 kilometres of fibre backbone across regional Australia, and has already laid 4,000 kilometres of fibre.

I am delighted to update the chamber. Just a short time ago I was in Geraldton for the opening of the 449-kilometre link between Perth and Geraldton. This project has been delivered on time and on budget. The high cost of backbone infrastructure is one of the biggest hurdles to delivering affordable broadband services to families and businesses in regional Australia—a situation that was allowed to fester and grow under the former coalition government’s reign of telecommunications terror. Before the new link was built, backhaul charges were 12 times more than they are today and the service being offered had just one-third of the bandwidth capacity. The new fibre backbone will allow retailers to compete on a level playing field. This program has delivered for families and small businesses. It is delivering to thousands upon thousands of regional Australians in both Western Australia and right across Australia. Those opposite who oppose this should hang their heads. (Time expired)

Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. Can the minister expand on what the Regional Backbone Blackspots Program means for families, businesses and their local communities?

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Building competitive backhaul to regional Australia is all about generating more competition, allowing retailers to offer better speeds, better value and improved performance. People in Geraldton are already reaping the benefits of this new fibre backbone.

Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Northern and Remote Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

What is it going to cost?

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I am glad you asked that, Senator Macdonald. The Gardiner family were the first customers signed up to the new services from Westnet that are now available. As a result of this new backbone infrastructure, they are now getting 10 times the speed and double the download cap for the same monthly price. This is what Mr Gardiner had to say—

Eric Abetz (Tasmania, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is an introductory offer.

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

This is not an introductory offer. Mr Gardiner said, ‘Our teenage daughters use the internet extensively for their high school studies and my wife and I use email, pay bills, shop and keep in touch with the family.’ (Time expired)

Glenn Sterle (WA, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. Can the minister outline to the Senate what impact the Regional Backbone Blackspots Program will have in other parts of regional Australia?

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Just last week I also announced that the Victor Harbour link in South Australia has been completed. That is another 129 kilometres of fibre backbone with the potential to benefit a further 27,000 people. This was delivered, again, on time and on budget. We have routes in Darwin, south-west Gippsland and Broken Hill on track to be completed at the end of the year—again, on time and on budget. There are 109 communities across the length and breadth of this country that will benefit from this, despite the opposition of those in the coalition.

Ian Macdonald (Queensland, Liberal Party, Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Northern and Remote Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Have they got costs on them?

Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

They are towns that you used to care about, Senator Macdonald—places that you used to campaign for. They are going to be getting access to ten-times better services at the same price with double the download cap. That is what you are trying to turn off. (Time expired)