House debates

Monday, 21 November 2016

Constituency Statements

Petition: Cowan Electorate - Internet Access

10:30 am

Photo of Anne AlyAnne Aly (Cowan, Australian Labor Party) Share this | | Hansard source

I rise to table a petition. The petition has 335 signatures and it speaks to the appalling state of the internet, particularly in the suburb of Greenwood in my electorate of Cowan, where homes and businesses have been waiting for more than two years and are looking at a further wait of at least two years for adequate access to the internet. The petition requests first of all that they prioritise the NBN in areas that have no access to broadband; that the copper in Greenwood is tested for its NBN capability; and that the MyBroadband website is updated with data that actually reflects the current information about the appalling state of NBN in Cowan. While we continue to wait for basic internet coverage in Cowan, I have started the Internet Action Group within my electorate, which consists of a coming together of residents, businesses and private providers to find a more suitable and immediate response and immediate solution to the lack of access to the internet within the Cowan electorate.

The Cowan electorate spans some 180 square kilometres. Within those 180 square kilometres I can safely say that very few households actually receive adequate NBN. Those that do receive NBN are consistently making complaints about the speed of their uploads and downloads. Other areas, such as Greenwood, have absolutely no access to the internet whatsoever. In response to that, residents have gathered together and looked at local solutions, whereby they have approached private providers to supply towers on houses and on businesses to at least provide some form of internet for houses. In my office alone I have had several people come to me to talk about how the lack of internet has affected them, among them a young man who is trying to start a business in Cowan but has no access to the internet to be able to do so.

In tabling this petition, which has been passed by the Petitions Committee, I would hope that this issue is addressed as soon as possible and that we get adequate internet access in Cowan.

The petition read as follows—

The Australian Government’s myBroadband website details many parts of the Cowan electorate as having ‘D-E’ grade broadband internet quality. Many residents in areas such as Greenwood are unable to access ADSL and are relying on costly and data limited mobile broadband services, this whilst the myBroadband shows Greenwood to have an A rating for ADSL availability. The construction of the NBN is not scheduled to commence in parts of the electorate such as Greenwood until 2018. As the NBN rollout schedule indicates the start of construction and not its availability to consumers, residents of this area will thus have to wait even longer (estimated to be 18 months) to gain access to good quality internet. This is of deep concern to those who do not currently have access to quality broadband services, especially when areas with better quality existing broadband internet are receiving the NBN sooner. This prevents persons from effective communication, able to run businesses from home and most importantly deprive them and their children from equal opportunity for online learning.

from 218 citizens.

Petition received.