Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the senator for his question. When the Prime Minister attended the University of Wollongong to announce the 12-month construction rollout for the NBN, it was an important day for all of the sites announced but particularly so for the Illawarra region. We saw a major expansion of construction across two sites, in Dapto and Wollongong, which will see nearly 11,000 premises gain access to the NBN fibre services. This is of course in addition to the 5,200 premises where construction is underway in the Kiama township and the Jamberoo area and the 2,500 premises that are now ready for service in the Kiama Downs-Minnamurra region.

What was the local reaction? In an editorial the next day, the Illawarra Mercury said:

… it was a good day for Wollongong.

They went on to say:

… we believe the generations ahead will look back and see the roll-out as an example of enlightened thinking.

And, in the Illawarra, we are finally seeing in some tangible ways how our "old economy" can be transformed to the benefit of everyone.

More recently, the Illawarra Mercury quoted a local Mangerton boy, Mr Nabil Naghdy, who now works for Google as a technology strategist, who suggested Wollongong would be transformed into our version of Silicon Valley. He said:

The rollout of the NBN is kind of like the platform for Wollongong. It's no longer a mining town - it could turn into Silicon Valley Australia …

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