Lucy Wicks (Robertson, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to support his very important motion from the member for Forrest regarding the importance of small business and the importance of fast reliable broadband in regional areas. As we have been hearing in this chamber this morning, this is a government that is determined to support small business, because we believe, as I know the member for Oxley has alluded to, they are the engine room of the Australian economy and of employment. They are the engine room, because we know of course that it is not government that creates jobs; it is business that creates jobs. Small business in particular has a direct and significant impact on local communities, especially in regional areas like my electorate on the Central Coast. In 2013, the National Business Register found there were more than 12,000 local businesses in the Gosford City Council area, whose boundaries are largely within my electorate, and every one of them is important for what they contribute to our region's economy.

It is also true that, like all Australians, small business people should have access to fast, affordable and reliable broadband. This is particularly the case for small businesses in areas like mine. I am pleased to say that after six years of delays and frustration under Labor, Australians now have an NBN rollout plan they can actually rely on. Under the previous government, even suburbs that Labor claimed to be switched on had problems. Labor's approach was to commit $73 billion of taxpayers' money with no analysis, and ignore the fact that their project would raise internet prices by 80 per cent on the most vulnerable consumers. Under the Labor government, only 203 premises on the Central Coast were connected to NBN over a six-year period.

The coalition has the rollout back on track, already rolling NBN out to more than 50,000 premises in my electorate, with a strong commitment to the 18-month rollout plan that includes suburbs like Kariong, Somersby and Macmasters Beach. We are also working with small businesses as we roll out the NBN in locations like Gosford. Just last week I met with the Gosford Chamber of Commerce President Ali Vidler, who has been a great advocate for this city and the importance of connecting businesses to broadband. There has also been a great response to our rollout on the Peninsula. I thank Peninsula Chamber of Commerce President Matthew Wales for his work in standing up for this important area in my electorate. In suburbs like Umina, residents are reporting great download and upload speeds, as our mixed technology rollout continues. Up the road in Koolewong, a great start-up company using leading edge technology, Solar Monitoring Australia, based its global operations centre right on the Koolewong waterfront, and have been reporting encouraging results already. When businesses like this arrive on the Central Coast it is a huge vote of confidence in our region and how we are supporting businesses and creating the right environment for them to thrive and even create jobs.

When the NBN was first made available on the Central Coast it had an enormous impact on businesses like the Real Estate Academy in East Gosford. This business depends on fast, reliable broadband, and has thrived under the NBN. The Real Estate Academy designs and develops leading-edge business systems and career development programs for real estate professionals. The company promises to deliver fresh and up-to-date solutions and training for staff in a fast-paced industry. But to deliver on this promise, they need internet speeds they can rely on. I am pleased to say that business owners Lee Woodward and his wife Robyn have experienced the very beneficial impact the NBN has had on their business. The Real Estate Academy has even been able to improve its ability to deliver one-to-one Skype coaching sessions. Superfast broadband also enabled staff to add webinars and interactive virtual classrooms sessions to the company's output. The Real Estate Academy relies on work being delivered around the clock. They used to load projects overnight, hoping they would be complete by the morning, but the NBN has changed all that. Now, hot topics that could propel his industry forward can be captured, edited and recorded straight away, and delivered and synchronised to clients. Lee Woodward also told me about how the Real Estate Academy has taken on more staff, and now has 17 employees in East Gosford, and another five offsite. In short, the NBN is delivering faster speeds, significant cost savings and greater autonomy to his small business.

This is the fast, reliable and superfast broadband of the future that we are determined to deliver to even more small businesses across the Central Coast. This is a government that is delivering the NBN sooner, cheaper to the taxpayer and more affordably to consumers, and this is good news for businesses in my electorate.

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