Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy) Share this | Hansard source

I do want to congratulate Senator Grogan for her tireless support in levelling the playing field for regional Australians. We know how important it is to have fast, reliable and affordable broadband for all Australians but particularly those Australians that live in regional Australia, because the NBN allows Australians to work remotely and run their businesses more productively.

I'm thinking about people like Brant and Angie Bettridge, whose Mt Wilga cattle farm operates some 550 kilometres west of Rockhampton, in regional Queensland. Before Brant and Angie connected to the NBN, they had little to no mobile service or internet connection and would record all their cattle numbers with a notebook and pencil. Connecting to the NBN has meant that Angie and Brant can now run their banking, their payroll and their admin over the internet. As Angie said: 'We wouldn't be able to run our farm today without the NBN. It's as simple as that. Gone are the days of the notebook and the pencil.'

This government is supporting families and businesses like Brant and Angie's right across Australia. There are 8.6 million active premises already connected to the NBN, with over 12.4 million ready to connect. Our fixed wireless upgrades are on track for completion by the end of the year, with 2,300 towers upgraded. It means faster speeds and less network faults, and this week we have introduced legislation to ensure that this critical infrastructure asset remains publicly owned, as it should be, Senator Grogan. I'm sure you will agree.