Clive Palmer (Fairfax, Palmer United Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I wish to bring to the attention of the chamber a bold initiative that has been taken in the national interest by the Sunshine Coast City Council. On 21 July the Sunshine Coast council lodged a submission with the Australian Communications and Media Authority to seek a declaration of a cable protection zone off the coast from the Sunshine Coast. Should the ACMA see its way clear to agree to the council's request and commence the process to declare a cable protection zone, this will enable investment in Australia's next offshore broadband connection to the rest of the world, landing the Sunshine Coast at the forefront of internet development.

There are currently only five international cable connections to Australia—four within a short stretch of the coastline of Sydney and one in Perth. The entire eastern seaboard broadband connectivity to the rest of the world occurs through the four cables that exist around Sydney. The communications minister has himself identified this as a vulnerable single point of failure for Australia with too many cables located in the same pathway and going to the same access points.

On the Sunshine Coast we are doing something about it by obtaining a cable protection zone offshore from the Sunshine Coast and delivering a high band width submarine cable will provide redundancy for the eastern seaboard and better and more competitively priced access to broader international telecommunications and the markets generally for Australia and Australian industry.

The Sunshine Coast is an ideal location for the next submarine cable landing on the eastern seaboard, given the topography of the coastline, the marine environment and given that it is far enough away from Sydney to be a viable alternative access point. I believe this is fantastic initiative by the Sunshine Coast City Council and truly of national significance. We need to assess our vulnerabilities in this nation and to make sure that we are not too dependent on one state and one location. I want to encourage all members of the House to get behind this and voice their support to ACMA and the communications minister for this bold initiative.