Robert Oakeshott (Lyne, Independent) Share this | Hansard source

On behalf of the Joint Committee on the National Broadband Network, I present the committee's fourth report incorporating a dissenting report entitled Review of the roll out of the National Broadband Network,together with the minutes and proceedings.

In accordance with standing order 39(f) the report was made a parliamentary paper.

by leave—I present the fourth report of the Joint Committee on the National Broadband Network, entitled Review of the rollout of the National Broadband Network, covering the period from 1 January to 30 June 2012, as well as other current issues reported after this period.

Under its terms of reference, the NBN committee is required to report to the parliament every six months on the rollout of the NBN, including such items as the achievement of take-up targets, including premises passed and covered, and services activated, as set out in NBN Co.'s corporate plan; network rollout performance, including service levels and faults; the effectiveness of NBN Co. in meeting its obligations as set out in its stakeholder charter; NBN Co.'s strategy for engaging with consumers and handling complaints; NBN Co.'s risk management processes; and any other matter pertaining to the NBN rollout that the committee considers relevant. The committee's fourth report therefore covers a comprehensive range of matters.

Chapter 1 of the report provides important introductory information about the committee's fourth review inquiry process and a useful summary of major developments over this reporting period relevant to the NBN rollout. Chapters 2 and 3 cover the core topics of performance reporting and regulatory issues. The section on performance reporting examines key performance indicators for the NBN; NBN rollout progress; and NBN Co.'s financial results. The committee made three recommendations concerning these matters. These three recommendations are aimed at enhancing transparency and accountability of the government and NBN Co. reporting on the NBN rollout.

Chapter 4 of the committee's report looks at the important issue of NBN rollout progress in regional and remote communities. A combination of the three NBN technologies—fibre, fixed wireless and satellite—will be rolled out to regional and remote areas of Australia, and indeed it is happening right now. The committee made one recommendation relating to this issue, concerning mobile telephone services and coverage across regional and remote areas and how that relates to the rollout, particularly of the wireless network, and the opportunities that present themselves.

Chapters 5 and 6 consider a range of matters determined by the committee to be of significance at this stage of the NBN rollout, such as connecting multidwelling units; medical alarms; private equity engagement; and workforce issues. The committee made recommendations concerning a number of these matters. In particular, on the matter of workforce issues, the committee was concerned to continue its monitoring of the Telstra Retraining Funding Deed. Under this deed, the government has committed to provide $100 million to Telstra to support the availability of an appropriately trained workforce for the NBN and retrain Telstra staff affected by the NBN rollout. The committee therefore recommended that the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy provide an annual statement to the committee on progress concerning a range of matters under the Telstra Retraining Funding Deed.

On a final note, the report also includes a detailed summary of the NBN committee's visit to New Zealand from 24 to 28 September 2012 under the Australia New Zealand Parliamentary Committee Exchange Program. The objectives of the committee's visit were to establish links with the commerce select committee, selected private sector organisations and government agencies responsible for delivery of New Zealand's high-speed broadband network and to gain a practical insight into the workings, policies and funding arrangements underpinning New Zealand's ultrafast broadband and rural broadband initiatives, in particular: the mix of technologies incorporated in New Zealand; the associated telecommunications regulatory issues in relation to the demerger of Telecom New Zealand; the wholesale pricing issues; the community consultation and community education strategies; the government, corporate and community readiness; and the existing employment and skilling issues. These are very similar to many of the issues we face here in Australia. The committee welcomed the opportunity to learn about the New Zealand experience in developing its high-speed broadband network, and I know it was valuable for all members across party lines.

Finally, I have had four children, and this is the fourth report of this committee. Like with children, you have easy births and difficult ones. This fourth report was a difficult birth. I invite those interested to read it and I invite committee members to produce a fifth and final report in this parliament. I, as chair, am not confident we can do it. We are starting to fall onto political party lines in election season, and there is a danger that we will just deliver a compendium of policy platforms. I hope I am wrong. The committee's challenge is to do the good work and oversight work of the committee as per its terms of reference. I hope we can get there and I look forward to working with the committee to achieve it.

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