Rebekha Sharkie (Mayo, Centre Alliance) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to acknowledge my support for the member for Kennedy's amendments, as a person with an electorate that has a mix of fibre to the node, a bit of fibre to the premises and some fixed wireless but a lot of satellite. There is a lot of satellite in my electorate. Many people—when they talk to Telstra, in particular—are told, 'You can't get NBN.' That's simply because for many years Telstra wouldn't provide a satellite service, and, as they were not delivering the service, they would tell people that they couldn't get NBN. It was a huge disservice.

What we are finding right across my community is that we're the poor cousins when it comes to the NBN. We're the poor cousins when it comes to telecommunications. On an average two-hour-stretch drive through my community, I drop out of service a minimum of eight times. We need a universal service obligation that covers the NBN but also covers mobile phones, because right across our communities—in my area there are communities at risk of bushfire, and in the member for Kennedy's area there are a whole range of different natural disasters that can befall the community—it really is a safety issue. I've got to say, when I am driving on roads where I know that there's a higher likelihood of having a car accident, it is incredibly concerning—it is scary to be driving on roads where you know there is no telephone box near you and no way you can get a call out if needed. So I very much commend the member for Kennedy for his great work here.

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