Julian Hill (Bruce, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It would be hard to pick the worst NBN stuff-up, but Mr Chaslett's business in Springvale would surely be a contender for that prize. It's a local software development business. Mr Chaslett signed his lease for his business in mid-2018. He did this on the basis of a clear commitment that the NBN would be available on 7 September. He even prudently built in a month or so to his business plan to allow for delays. He started off employing six people, anticipating to grow quickly over summer. He is now stuck in limbo because of the Liberals' HFC rollout freeze. It's going to cost him between $50,000 and $100,000 a month now over summer, because he can't employ more people.

Possibly the most ridiculous part is that 10 shops in the strip can get the NBN and 10 shops can't. Mr Chaslett's shop is right next door to a shop which can get the NBN. That is a social club, so they don't need the NBN. Mr Chaslett has thought about punching through the wall and paying them for their connection, and that may be what he resorts to soon. He made reasonable business decisions based on the information provided but he is now left high and dry. The NBN won't even give a clear commitment to when he can get it so he can plan. They say, 'We expect,' sort of waffle, 'maybe January, maybe not'—weasel words. It's ridiculous.

This is a business that wants to expand. His business line is software for the construction industry. I said to him: 'It sounds a bit weird, mate. Were you really going to put more people on over December-January and ramp up business?' He said: 'Yeah. What you need to understand is that my business does a lot of work with the Northern Hemisphere, and, when we're quoting to big jobs in America and Europe, that's exactly when they want tenders in, because they're in winter and they're getting ready for their summer construction season. They don't shut down for a month.' So it made perfect sense. He has planned properly. He has got a plan to employ more people in Springvale, but the NBN Co cannot get its act together to punch through the wall.

This week marks the one year anniversary of the HFC rollout freeze. Back then, the mind-bending press release from the minister was headed: 'NBN Co takes customer experience program to new levels'. It was announcing that the HFC rollout was being frozen. The fact is that, one year on, the latest NBN weekly report indicates 1.3 million premises in NBN-ready areas can't order a service. So, despite the fact that 12 months of the Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison government has rolled on, instead of fixing this mess, the government has continued to eat itself alive. It's amazing how many Liberal MPs are sitting opposite, given that most of their colleagues are stuck in crisis meetings around the building, trying to stop the government from collapsing. I hope that someone will pay attention and connect Mr Chaslett's business to the NBN.