Sarah Henderson (Corangamite, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Fast broadband is so important in rural and regional Australia, including in my electorate of Corangamite. Under Labor, Australians were misled about the cost and progress of the NBN. After spending $6.5 billion, less than two per cent of Australians could order a service on the NBN. Our government is working hard to get the NBN back on track.

Last Friday I was delighted to be joined by the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Communications in Cororooke, west of Colac, to announce that super-fast fixed wireless broadband is coming to much of the Colac Otway region.

NBN Co will now begin the community consultation for the rollout in Cororooke, as well as Alvie, Beeac, Beech Forest, Cressy East, Forrest, Gellibrand, Swan Marsh, Warncoort and Barongarook. This is wonderful news for these communities, which have struggled with poor or no broadband.

Further north, NBN fixed wireless is now up and running in Dereel, Linton, Rokewood, Smythesdale, Cape Clear and Ross Creek. This technology will deliver speeds of up to 25 megabits per second—around double the average ADSL2 speed.

Since last September the reach of the fixed wireless network has increased threefold nationally, with nearly 130,000 premises now able to access services. Whether it is fast broadband, mobile phone coverage or postal services, I will continue to advocate strongly for better communications in Corangamite.