Andrew Broad (Mallee, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I want to talk about the national broadband network in the electorate of Mallee. The four things that are most important to the people of the Wimmera Mallee are that they can drive on a decent road; that they can make a mobile phone call and have access to adequate telecommunications; that, when they go to a doctor, there will be a doctor there and they can get treated; and that there are good education opportunities for their children—including preschool. The federal government has just contributed funding to preschools so that children get 15 hours a week. That includes funding for schools, and the 119 schools across the Wimmera Mallee will all get more under our current funding arrangements. It also includes access to university, which is a great challenge for people who, frankly, cannot access from home many of the courses they want to access, and they have to shift away.

The National Broadband Network is an initiative of the previous Rudd government. It has been rolled out under our government, and there is a level of expectation within the community that is probably above what the technology will deliver. I see that the private sector is also going to be delivering greater things with 4G and 5G in our mobile phone network, which is really quite extraordinary. But there is one town that I want to touch on: the town of Kaniva. Kaniva is a fantastic and vibrant town on the main road between Adelaide and Melbourne. It was originally flagged to get fibre to the node, but then it was flagged to get a fixed wireless service, and now it is only flagged to get satellite service. The data loads are probably okay if you are trying to access a movie or two from home, but if you are trying a run a business, you do have to have at least fixed wireless to get an adequate level of data.

My premise is that not having a fixed wireless service in Kaniva will limit investment in that town; why would a business set up in that town? I am saying that, for the sake of $400,000 or $500,000, the federal government should pay for a fixed wireless tower in Kaniva. The population is big enough, the economic activity is strong enough, and the future of the town is vibrant. But if we do not deliver this level of technology, I think that would be a very poor outcome. I am meeting with Mitch Fifield to put the case. I have written to NBN Co several times, and I have made it very clear to them that it will be cheaper to put a tower in Kaniva than it will be to take the time, and the stamps, to respond to my strong advocacy. I am not going to give up on this.