Kate Ellis (Adelaide, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I have spoken previously in this House about the need for greater government investment in broadband infrastructure in parts of metropolitan Adelaide. Over the past week, evidence has come to light of the federal government’s inaction on broadband which is significantly impacting upon businesses and residents in my community. Firstly, I remind the House that back in August last year the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts advised us that, ‘No-one is complaining about broadband speeds in metropolitan Australia,’ and that Adelaide residents ‘ought to be happy with broadband speeds as they are’.

I reported at the time the frustration and anger that this caused for businesses and residents who could not access broadband at all, let alone at the decent speeds that should be associated with a developed country. I would like to update the House by saying that this anger was compounded in November last year with the release of a local government association report which revealed that the inner metropolitan council of Prospect in my electorate has the slowest average broadband speeds in South Australia, at an average of just 56 kilobits per second.

Across the seat of Adelaide reports continue to arise of residents and businesspeople having difficulties in accessing internet content at reasonable speeds. In this context the revelation this week of the government’s lack of progress in its program to address broadband black spots in metropolitan Adelaide has particular significance for the people of Adelaide. The metropolitan Broadband Connect program was announced back in 2004 with an allocation of $50 million. In the absence of any significant nationwide investment plan by this government, the people of Adelaide have been relying on this program to address outstanding black spots. But at Senate estimates this week it emerged that, more than two years after the government’s announcement of the program, government bungling has resulted in $1.3 million being spent on administration costs and only $200,000 being spent on providing actual broadband services to metropolitan Australia. Unfortunately, we do not yet know in exactly which metropolitan areas this $200,000 has been spent. I await the response to these inquiries, which I understand the minister has taken on notice.

But, given the problems in my electorate, I am outraged that parts of metropolitan Adelaide continue to be disadvantaged as a result of the government’s failure to deliver on even a tiny percentage of its promised investment. I call on the government again today to follow Labor’s lead and invest in the critical infrastructure needed to advance Australia’s broadband capabilities. Labor’s policy of delivering a national fibre-to-the-node broadband network in partnership with the telecommunications sector would give Australian families and businesses the super fast internet that they need today. I call on the federal government to take the initiative today for the sake of metropolitan Adelaide and communities across Australia. (Time expired)