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

The Hunter and Central Coast Boards of Regional Development Australia have made a joint submission to the National Broadband Network Company, NBN Co, outlining the case for the two regions to be included in NBN Co’s list of regions for a priority rollout of the National Broadband Network. The National Broadband Network is essential in this country. Regions that are successful in being allocated an early rollout of the NBN will benefit enormously. It is like the development of electricity was at the turn of the 20th century. It has the ability to transform regions and our economy. It is the ability to link in to the latest knowledge and the latest technology, to be able to work from home and your region and to be able to do so many more things locally.

Government members of parliament in the Hunter and on the Central Coast are being very supportive of the RDA’s submission, as have all levels of government. The local councils in the Hunter and the Central Coast have joined together in support of this submission, local businesses have supported the submission and state members of parliament have supported the submission. It is fairly unique to have across-the-board support for a proposal. I might add that not all the councils are Labor-held councils. I would say the majority of them are not Labor-controlled councils. This shows that those regions and those local government areas can recognise how it will benefit their areas.

I have been particularly involved with the proposal with the RDA on the Central Coast. They have been very active with the business community in promoting the NBN and the benefits to the Central Coast. This has been driven by the local business community. The local business community on the Central Coast has said, ‘We want the NBN.’ This has the potential to change our local economy. This has the potential to link the Central Coast to any part of the world. It is cutting-edge technology. This is the technology that is so important for us to develop as a region.

I pay particular credit to the Central Coast RDA Board, led by the Chair, John Dawson, a man who has previously been the general manager of Wyong Shire Council; and the wonderful CEO, Anthony Dow, who is an example of the type of CEO that should be employed by an RDA. He engages with the community on all levels. He engages with all levels of government. He engages with people of all political persuasions, and of course, very importantly, he engages with the business community.

For the NBN to be successfully integrated into a local economy you need to have the support of all the people, all the levels of government and the business that I have already mentioned. I have to pay particular credit also to Wyong Shire Council and Gosford Council, particularly Wyong Council’s general manager, Michael Whittaker, and Bob Platt, the chief information systems officer. They have put in a lot of hard work to pave the way for the NBN network to be rolled out early on the Central Coast. Early rollout is an advantage, as I have mentioned, for business, e-education, e-health and the community generally.

I acknowledge the hard work of local businessman David Abrahams, who has contributed to his local community on a number of levels. He has been an enthusiastic and passionate supporter of the National Broadband Network. Federal members are pleased to have been able to lead a delegation of business leaders, council and RDA to brief Ministers Conroy and Crean and to work closely with NBN Co in the Central Coast’s preparation for this early rollout.