Anne Stanley (Werriwa, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) notes that:

(a) the Australian Labor Party established the National Broadband Network (NBN) Co in 2009;

(b) the NBN Co was established to connect all Australians with fast, accessible and reliable broadband;

(c) the former Government's move to a multi-technology mix, using the copper broadband network, resulted in reduced broadband speeds, less reliability and increased costs to NBN Co; and

(d) businesses and everyday Australians require fast and reliable broadband to operate;

(2) acknowledges that the:

(a) use of the copper broadband network has delayed access to fast and reliable broadband;

(b) existing broadband infrastructure requires upgrading due to the former Government's use of copper technology;

(c) Government committed $2.4 billion in the October 2022-2023 budget to expand full-fibre access to an additional 1.5 million premises by late 2025, including 660,000 in regional Australia; and

(d) Government will continue to ensure all Australians can have access to fast and reliable broadband; and

(3) further notes that Australian families deserve access to internet that is affordable and meets the needs of small business, education, and recreation.

In 2009 the then federal government, under Kevin Rudd, proposed one of the most ambitious infrastructure builds in modern times. Much like any other infrastructure project initiated by government, whether it be sewerage, roads or energy systems, it is not only necessary but vital to a modern-day society. The National Broadband Network was designed to connect Australians to an increasingly interconnected and globalised world. It was to be built with the future in mind, ensuring that Australians could benefit for decades. However, many did not see that benefit. Instead, they claimed that Australians did not need faster internet speeds and labelled it as unnecessary and a waste. We now know that Australians don't just want faster and more reliable internet; they need it. During the COVID pandemic, Australians had to work, see a doctor and attend school from home. It was clear how necessary reliable broadband was. We saw the impacts of the previous government's failed NBN policy.

The NBN was meant to be a public infrastructure project, with the goal of providing Australians with world-leading broadband. Instead, it was diverted onto a politically determined path laid out by the former government that aimed to prove that fibre to the premises was unnecessary. The Abbott government's changes to the multitechnology mix, which championed fibre to the node, were promised to be cheaper for taxpayers and quicker to roll out. Instead, Australians received an outdated broadband network, with reduced speeds and less reliability, for an even higher price tag. In 2013 the Abbott government estimated that the project would cost $29.5 billion. It blew out to $56 billion. It was an incredibly expensive and failed experiment, and, as this became obvious, the previous government announced further funding of $4.5 billion in 2020. The Albanese government is committed to restoring the original intent of the NBN: fast and reliable internet for all Australians. The importance of fast internet for both economic and social growth can't be understated. Businesses need to adapt to a digital business model as households are increasingly working or studying from home.

The shift to online mediums didn't begin with COVID, but the pandemic has accelerated the change that was already occurring, and it will continue, which is why we're ensuring, as a government, that more households can access full-fibre broadband. In the October 2022-23 budget, the Albanese government committed a further $2.4 billion to expand full-fibre access to 1.5 million premises. In Werriwa that includes suburbs like Hinchinbrook and Middleton Grange, which will be able to order a full-fibre upgrade on demand from 2024. Those suburbs are in addition to many more in the electorate of Werriwa and surrounding south-west suburbs, like Leppington, Bringelly, Rossmore, Austral, Kemps Creek, Catherine Field, Denham Court, Gledswood Hills and Gregory Hills, where people can already order their fibre connections and receive all the benefits of world-class, reliable broadband today. I encourage those residents to visit the NBN website for more information. These are suburbs with new families moving in and new schools and businesses being built. With the opening of the Western Sydney Airport in the near future, it's vital that households and businesses have fast and reliable broadband. Whether you're in a metropolitan, suburban or regional area, everyone deserves to benefit from nation-building infrastructure projects, and the NBN is no exception.

A study commissioned by NBN Co, undertaken by Accenture in 2021, found that Australians derive an average of $1,920 in value every year from their NBN plan. It saves Australians an average of 170 hours a year, by making essential tasks easier to do online. There is significant social and economic value in saving almost four working weeks a year. Australians can spend that time doing what matters most to them. By 2025, 90 per cent of households and businesses in the NBN fixed-line footprint, including 660,000 premises in regional Australia, will have access to gigabit speeds—1,000 megabits per second.

I know that many residents in Werriwa look forward to having access to faster broadband, and that's what the Albanese government is delivering, so that they can take advantage of the world-class opportunities available for them, their children and their businesses.

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