Malcolm Turnbull (Wentworth, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications) Share this | Hansard source

I thank all members who have participated in debate on the Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (Submarine Cable Protection) Bill 2013. As honourable members know, submarine cables ensure that Australia is connected to the rest of the world. They are the vital sinews in our global telecommunications infrastructure. The bill before the House will improve the operation of the submarine cable protection regime and will ensure our regime continues to be best practice, and that the protection it affords to submarine cables is maintained. The recommendations made by the Australian Communications and Media Authority to improve the operation of the regime following its review form the basis of the amendments in the bill, along with other proposals that will further enhance the regime protecting submarine cables connected to Australia.

It is somewhat serendipitous that we are debating this bill now in December, as this is also the 50th anniversary of the official opening of the undersea COMPAC cable. The COMPAC coaxial cable forms part of a global submarine and terrestrial telecommunications network linking the nations of the Commonwealth. It was officially opened on 3 December 1963 by the Queen, after which the prime ministers of Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada and New Zealand participated in a conference call. The cable was landed in Australia in my own electorate of Wentworth right at Bondi Beach. It significantly increased the capacity and reliability of communications between Australia, Europe and North America, and provided Australia with a better link to the global communications network. It was delivered by the cooperative efforts of telecommunications authorities of the four nations under the direction of a management committee headed by Australia's TA Housely, the general manager of the Overseas Telecommunications Commission. The project has been described in Mr Housley's biography as 'probably the most important milestone in Australian international telecommunications since the landing of the first telegraph cable at Port Darwin in 1871'.

COMPAC was complemented by the SEACOM cable, completed in 1967 to improve communications capacity with South-East Asia. Both were part of an overarching plan better to integrate Australia with the rest of the world. At a cost plan of 33½ million pounds, it was a large investment. That is something well worth remembering, particularly given the significant changes in telecommunications in the intervening 50 years. I was reminded of this anniversary by members of the Overseas Telecommunications Veterans Association who worked on the project. I acknowledge here the important contribution they and others who have worked in telecommunications in the past have made to our nation's advancement. Their achievements over many years—then and continuing—are ones that all Australians can be very proud of.

After 50 years, there are few things that are the same. The Queen, who opened the cable and initiated it with the first call, is still the Queen—

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