Angus Taylor (Hume, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The coalition government promised to prioritise fast broadband to the bush, and this week another milestone has been reached. In the tiny village of Wombat near Harden, population 180 residents, the NBN has arrived. A fixed wireless tower is up and now it has been activated, bringing fast broadband to the village and surrounds. Wombat is racing ahead! As Wombat residents are just about to find out, the fixed wireless network uses advanced 4G technology, delivering speeds of up to 50 megabits per second. That is more than twice as fast as fast ADSL in the city.

I had the great pleasure of visiting the Wombat pub last month. It is a great small business which has been continuously trading since the 1870s. Brian, the publican, tells us that they will be chasing up an NBN connection very soon.

The NBN rollout continues unabated across my electorate of Hume. Hume will receive fast broadband in a mix of technologies to 31,500 premises in the next 18 months, not including the satellite. Already fixed towers are up and activated in Bribbaree, Cowra, Canowindra, Gooloogong, Koorawatha, Monteagle, Mount Weedalion, Murringo, Noonbinna, Young, and now Wombat. Towers are to be switched on in Stockinbingal, Mount Gibraltar, Mount McDonald and Woodstock in the next few weeks. The coalition government is doing exactly what it said it would: delivering fast and reliable internet to Hume and to regional Australia.