Jill Hall (Shortland, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to place on the record of this House the importance of the National Broadband Network to the people that I represent in this parliament. The Shortland electorate falls partly in Lake Macquarie and partly on the Central Coast. Regional Development Australia (Central Coast and Hunter) have worked together to promote a wider Hunter and Central Coast region as a priority area for the NBN rollout. This initiative has been supported by 13 councils and I note that the two councils that the Shortland electorate falls in have passed motions supporting the NBN rollout in their area. A statement of intent was forwarded to the government stating that the Hunter and Central Coast were NBN capable and that they had the capacity and the commitment to be involved as a priority area for the rollout of the NBN.

Some areas of the Shortland electorate are quite isolated. The electorate has fairly high unemployment, particularly the Central Coast part of the electorate. Wyong Shire has an 8.8 per cent unemployment rate and that is higher than the New South Wales and Australian averages. A large portion of that area of high unemployment is in the northern part of the Central Coast which is more isolated. The NBN would be of so much benefit to those people living in the northern part of the Central Coast. It would allow them to work from home rather than having to travel either to Sydney or to Newcastle as practically all of them need to do to access employment.

Yesterday the Central Coast members of parliament—Craig Thomson, Deb O’Neill and I—along with Gosford and Wyong councils, Regional Development Australia Central Coast and industry consultant Dave Abrahams, met with Minister Conroy and Minister Crean to emphasise the importance of the NBN to the Central Coast. That covers the Lake Macquarie area that I also represent.

The ministers were able to recognise that this is an area of high need. They were exceptionally impressed with the prospectus that had been put together. They were cognisant of the fact that this proposal has the support of all sectors of the community, and they could see that the Central Coast community was ready and that the region would provide an attractive return for NBN Co. The rollout will help the region to provide: sound community and business support, support for commuting workers through demonstrating the value of the NBN in reducing unnecessary travelling time, linking of schools, and a balance between work and home with all those people needing to travel to get to work. There are implications of the NBN for health and the fact that the Central Coast is a water authority and is prepared to work very cooperatively with NBN in the rollout.

The most important thing to note about the Central Coast and the Hunter is that there is support throughout the community for the NBN. The business sector particularly is behind NBN being rolled out to the Central Coast and the Hunter. One of the things that we were able to present to the ministers yesterday is that the Central Coast is within the Hunter-Central Coast proposal that is being put forward as well as the proposal that is being put forward by Southern Cross University for a spur down eastern Australia.

I strongly put on the record my support for the NBN being rolled out in the Central Coast and Lake Macquarie. (Time expired)