Bob Baldwin (Paterson, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Tourism) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today I rise to bring to the attention of the House concerns in my electorate over the delivery of digital television access. In 2001 the government started the rollout of digital television throughout Australia through free-to-air digital television. It is said that by 2013 all of Australia will be covered by digital television. In September 2009, we were told to prepare ourselves for the imminent digital television transfer. This government has spent millions and millions of taxpayers' dollars on glossy brochures, newspaper ads and television ads telling people to get digital ready. The reality is that, after a week of consultation meetings in the community by the authority, my constituents are more confused than ever before. We will face the digital conversion by the end of November this year. A number of people at the moment receive analog transmissions only—no digital—and there are no plans to upgrade the towers from where they are receiving the signal. What the government does not understand is that the digital signal transmits over a shorter distance than the analog signal. Through the community meetings that have occurred, the government has advised people that unless they are in certain areas they will not have access to the government subsidy for the VAST scheme. The VAST scheme is what will deliver digital television via satellite.

Confusion reigns supreme. A number of the self-help transmitters will be upgraded, but a number will not be and the government passes the buck. Even though those were installed by the former Howard government, they will not be upgraded to digital. So those people will be left without a local digital television service. I raise the example of the Booral transmitter, which I got referred to a committee. It will not be upgraded. This area may also not be accessible to the subsidy for the satellite transmission. This government should have spent the millions of dollars that it spent on advertising putting into place infrastructure that would have benefited the community. Bulahdelah will not receive the terrestrial digital signal; Booral will not receive it—there are a number of areas. Instead of the glossy brochures promoting this government, what people need is service and infrastructure, and the government has failed on that point.

I say to this government: rethink your proposal, cut the advertising, invest in infrastructure and deliver the services that you are meant to deliver to the whole of the community. The community is up in arms. It is the number one issue being raised with me by my constituents in the rural and regional areas of Paterson. I have made a number of speeches in this House. I have been perhaps one of the greatest correspondents with the minister over this issue and I say this: he has ignored the plight of my constituents. (Time expired)