Nola Marino (Forrest, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I heard an interesting word in the previous speaker's presentation, and it was the word 'deserve'. It was a word that I could use quite strongly. Labor clearly believed when it was in government that WA did not deserve any NBN. Labor left WA completely stranded in 2013, only managing to connect 109 existing homes during four years in charge of the NBN. That is all WA deserved, according to the Labor government.

Like everything else that we inherited, the NBN project was in such a shocking mess in 2013 that the construction contractors in Western Australia refused to continue building it. That is how much of a mess the Labor government left. In 2013 the company contracted to build the NBN in WA and South Australia actually handed back 47 sites in Western Australia which Labor had deceptively listed as 'under construction'. Labor has a very long record of broken promises on the NBN, and their really empty criticisms ignore the amazing progress the coalition has made in getting this failing project back on track. When contractors were handing back and stopping work, I would not call that success. Today the NBN network covers more than 343,000 WA addresses. What did we have back when Labor was in government? It was 109. Now we have 343,000 WA addresses, and there are over 137,000 residences and businesses connected and enjoying the benefits of better broadband.

In my electorate two weeks ago we were actually able to celebrate the switching on of the final NBN node in central Bunbury. This was not even on Labor's map; it was on a map for perhaps 10 years hence or whenever. The Bunbury town centre can now service over 2,200 premises with fibre-to-the-node and joins around 24,000 premises in the greater Bunbury area that now have the same access. This has employed local people, and when I get out on the ground and talk to the contractors there are so many local people involved.

This was a seriously underserviced area that was totally ignored by the Labor government. We were not even on their maps, and the South West is now very well advanced with the NBN rollout. This is such an innovative and creative hub, and it has been absolutely prioritised by the coalition government. I think it is great to see the South West embracing the technology. To support this, a group combining Regional Development Australia South West, Business South West, the South West Chambers of Commerce and Industry, and the South West Development Commission have appointed an NBN adviser for the region. Mike Hendry has been tasked with arming South West people and businesses with the very best information about their NBN options and opportunities so that they can actually make the right decisions for them, their families and their businesses.

With Labor's 'pie in the sky' proposal, we in the South West were looking at construction at least a decade away. Instead, my region today is seeing towers go up and boxes being built on street corners. Of the 62,000 or so premises on the NBN rollout plan, there are currently some 35,000 premises in Forrest that have access to the NBN. This is great news in my part of the world. After knowing that we were at least 10 years away under a Labor government, we now have access to the NBN.

Of course, we all know that Labor was overbuilding in areas where there was already significant NBN access and was certainly not prioritising underserviced rural and regional areas. Now businesses and individuals can come along to a small business gathering and learn what is the right access for their business and what they need, and that is what they are actually accessing. These one-to-one gatherings are really useful for people. I am particularly proud that the NBN is in the South West.

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