Lisa Chesters (Bendigo, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise today to say that this government has to get serious about rolling out the NBN. Time and time again in my electorate I am receiving complaints from people who cannot get access via the internet to do what they need to do online. We have a situation in my electorate where there are three NBN towers that have been built but have not been turned on. This is creating a problem for our businesses, for our homes and for our schoolchildren, who cannot do their schoolwork online.

This is not just about what is going on with the NBN towers and how this government has messed up the rollout of the NBN; it is also about the fact that Bendigo was knocked off the map and for two years we had no rollout plan. We do not have access, whether it be fibre to the node or fibre to the premises. That is not happening in the Bendigo electorate. Our advanced manufacturing businesses are not able to connect to the NBN, to fast-speed broadband, to do business. If this government is serious about boosting manufacturing—

See this speech in context