Nick Minchin (SA, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Conroy. I refer the minister to the outrage sparked in the early 1990s when aerial pay television cables were rolled out under the federal Labor government despite the objections of residents and councils and the subsequent safeguards introduced by the coalition requiring carriers to seek state and local planning approval before deploying overhead cables. When does the government plan to attempt to repeal these safeguards in order to enable aerial cables to be rolled out for the $43 billion National Broadband Network, thus denying the opportunity for residents and individual councils to object?

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

Can I thank Senator Minchin for his ongoing interest in his own portfolio. On this issue, the government wants to expedite the rollout of fibre optic components of the NBN because it will deliver substantial benefits to homes and businesses. That said, the government will take account of community sensitivities in making changes to carrier powers and immunities. The faster fibre optic can be rolled out, the sooner Australians can enjoy the benefits of superfast broadband. Unlike those opposite, who after 12 years have now been 18 months in opposition, we have a broadband plan.

Honourable Senators:

Honourable senators interjecting—

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

You have a plan to hold a study. You have a plan to invite the Productivity Commission to investigate. Let us be clear about this: the government wants the rollout to be as unobtrusive as possible. Where possible and where it is cost effective, fibre optics can and will be placed underground. In other instances, aerial cabling may be faster and more cost effective. Where necessary to facilitate the rollout of fibre optics, the government is prepared to amend the existing carrier powers and immunities. The government will consult stakeholders on legislative changes and will give due consideration to community sensitivities. The government has begun discussions with the Australian Local Government Association about the NBN and looks forward to an ongoing, constructive dialogue. (Time expired)

Nick Minchin (SA, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a supplementary question. I thank the minister for his answer, but I note that in Tasmania the state government has indicated that overhead cables will comprise about 70 per cent of that state’s broadband rollout. Can the minister indicate what proportion of the optical fibre rollout on mainland Australia will comprise aerial cable?

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

The government will be looking at ways the impact of any aerial cabling can be minimised. Given that Senator Minchin has referred to Tasmania, I note comments from Dr Jonathan Spring, who is involved in the FTTP pilot in Tasmania with TasCOLT and who said on 3 June 2009:

In the TasCOLT project we rolled it out as an aerial cable deployment. It's a very attractive way of doing in comparison to the way cable TV was laid out, because the fibre cable is very much smaller than the existing cable that people might be aware of from Optus and Telstra.

Let us be clear. Senator Minchin is attempting to hug a piece of HFC cable. He is desperate to have a debate about cable the size of HFC. Perhaps if he went and got a briefing he would begin to understand that in actual fact what is available today for the fibre-optic rollout is considerably smaller than that. (Time expired)

Nick Minchin (SA, Liberal Party, Leader of the Opposition in the Senate) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr President, I ask a further supplementary question. I wonder if the minister was so dismissive of the Minister for Foreign Affairs when he raised this issue in the one meeting that the cabinet had on this matter. I ask the minister what assumption was made regarding the degree to which aerial cabling would be used in relation to the government’s cost estimate of $43 billion for its NBN mark 2. Does the minister agree with Optus that the estimated cost of the project—that is, $43 billion—will mean at least 70 per cent aerial deployment nationwide?

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

Senator Minchin is actually misquoting Optus. I think they were indicating that for a 70 per cent rollout it was $33 billion, depending on the level of the rollout. I think, if you read it carefully, that is what they were actually saying; I am happy to be contradicted. But let me be clear: we have said we are having an implementation study to go through all of these issues. We have said that from day one, and we do not resile from that. We are in negotiations which will allow us to be definitive on that. Depending on whether one company or another company is involved, we will change this equation. Senator Minchin, instead of just sitting back and calling for more studies, why don’t you get behind giving Australians faster broadband? Why don’t you just do that—or, as Mr Kim Williams from Foxtel said today— (Time expired)