E&EO..
MITCH FIFIELD:
We’re here to talk about the progress of the nbn.
QUESTION:
How is it progressing?
MITCH FIFIELD:
Well, extremely well. This electorate, and the Blue Mountains, really is a bit of a case study in the lack of progress with the nbn under our predecessors, and how far it’s come over the last two and a bit years. When we came into office there were only 127 connected to the nbn, 127 premises connected to the nbn in this electorate. There’s now 9,000 people connected and there are 15,000 people in the electorate who have the opportunity of connecting. Last week in Katoomba we had the switch on of fibre to the node which is 3,000. And from Katoomba to Lawson, between about now and August in total there will be about 16,000 who’ll have the opportunity to connect to the nbn.
LOUISE MARKUS:
That includes Leura.
MITCH FIFIELD:
Yes, that’s right.
QUESTION:
When you say the opportunity to connect what, what does that actually mean?
MITCH FIFIELD:
It means that the work is done and then you’ve got to talk to a retail service provider. So, in the electorate as a whole at the moment, 15,000 people can connect if they choose. 9,000 have elected to do so.
QUESTION:
Do people get notified?
MITCH FIFIELD:
Yes, the retail service providers, they’re down there at the door saying hey, we’re here choose us.
QUESTION:
The knock on the door, I’m sure, yeah.
LOUISE MARKUS:
And the nbn does write to people as well and communicate with them. So, they’ll hear from the nbn and providers will, I suppose, chase their business.
QUESTION:
And how about up here?
MITCH FIFIELD:
Up here, Blackheath and Mount Victoria, construction is commencing for 4,300 premises, and the first connection should be by the end of the year.
QUESTION:
So has it started or it is starting?
MITCH FIFIELD:
The build is starting. That’s right, that’s the big news.
QUESTION:
The first sod has been turned or whatever one does when one’s building an NBN.
MITCH FIFIELD:
Well, they’re going to star trenching and laying and building the nodes. So all the preparatory work is done. So by the end of the year we’ll have the first connections.
SIMON HARE [CONVENOR OF BLACKHEATH CYBER SHED]:
Which we really, really need. We’ve had three main disasters up here in the last five years, and so the communications aspect in the mountains are critical, which goes to the mobile phone stuff as well.
MICHAEL PAAG [FORMER BUSHFIRE RECOVERY COMMITTEE MEMBER]:
But not only that, but there’s a lot of tele commuters up here, people work from home, a lot of small businesses and also tourism. So, you know, it’s great for tourism to have really good internet. And so, we’re really happy. It’s great news for Blackheath.
MITCH FIFIELD:
It’s good news.
MICHAL PAAG:
And Mt Victoria, I should say as well.
MITCH FIFIELD:
That’s right. And, you know, you, you can be forgiven, you know, when you pick up the papers, for thinking that the nbn is actually not a good story. The reality is that with the approach that we’re taking nation-wide, it’ll be completed by 2020, and that’s 6 to 8 years sooner than would have been the case under our predecessors, and at $30 billion less cost. So, far from being the case of the nbn being delayed and costing more, it’s actually rolling out faster and at less cost because of the approach we’re taking.
And so, this week nbn connected its millionth paying customer. So there are about two and a half million people nationwide who can access the nbn and a million who, who’ve elected to do so. And the nbn is on track this financial year for its corporate plan targets. It’s ahead of where it was planning to be in terms of revenue, it’s below what it was expecting in terms of cost, and it’s ahead of schedule in terms of connections, and it’s on track in terms of premises that are ready for service.
QUESTION:
So what’s all that bad publicity about then?
MITCH FIFIELD:
Well, it’s, it’s bogus. That’s the truth. You expect your opponents to be misleading, and they are. It’s actually a really good news story. When we came into office, there were only 51,000 people who were connected to the NBN in its fixed and wireless footprint. We’ve now got that to a million. Our predecessors spent $6.5 billion to connect just 51,000 people. And in 2013 Labor fell 83% short of their roll-out target.
QUESTION:
How do you keep all these figures in your head? Do you memorise them at night?
MITCH FIFIELD:
Just a few. And I can also, talk about my previous portfolio too and roll out the figures for that NDIS.
When Malcolm became the Communications Minister, he really did bring order to bear where there was chaos. In four states, when we came in, the construction contractors had downed tools. They essentially couldn’t work with the management that was there. So, it’s been a dramatic change over two and a bit years.
QUESTION:
You’d be happy for
LOUISE MARKUS:
Oh, very pleased, particularly for the Upper Mountains, and of course I’m committed to ensuring that the nbn, as it rolls out across the mountains and it’s exciting to know that as a whole the mountains will be covered by 2020. I think for the upper mountains as you know, many people have to travel to work but there are others who work from home increasingly. And as Simon would know, our seniors need access as well as our young people at school to the broadband. It’s absolutely essential, both education, for paying your bills, and of course in an emergency situation. As we experienced in 2013 and since with storms, someone having access to immediate information, whether it be through mobile communications and/or the internet, is absolutely critical. So, I think, for businesses, for households, for households with young people that are studying, whether in primary school or, you know, in high school, it’s very important, and everybody needs to have access to the internet today.
MITCH FIFIELD:
And look, Louise makes an important point. So much of the focus on the nbn has been on the thing itself rather than what it can actually do, and what it will do for businesses and families.
QUESTION:
We should do a bit of a talk to someone living in Katoomba, you know, in a couple of weeks’ time, and just see what difference it does make.
LOUISE MARKUS:
Yeah, those that have signed on. Sometimes it takes a while for people to actually say, ‘oh, we’ve got it, we can book in’. But, I just spoke to The Carrington this morning and they are quite, we popped in and had a coffee on our way up, and they are quite excited. Simon, what would it mean for you and the people that you look after?
SIMON HARE:
Well, there’s a variety of issues. But the one that immediately comes to mind is the possibilities around tele-medicine. About tele-medicine and remote access to medical experts. People travel all the way to the city for specialist medical appointments and elderly people have to travel by trains. Public transport is, you know, not the best way to do things when you’re not well. But we also have an above average older population in town and a lot of people are isolated, and to have high speed internet in the home is clearly going to make a huge difference in their lives, so this is wonderful. The work that I do at Digital Cottage is essentially introducing people to using the internet, who’ve never touched it before. We’re talking about people who don’t know what a mouse is. Thankfully we’re up to touch screens and so they don’t have to worry about a mouse, but the issue is that it’s a vital service. But we’re virtually unfunded; it’s essentially a voluntary project which the neighbourhood centre is propping up by some of its core funding. So, if the Department of Communications is rolling out funds [laughs] for community based projects, I’d be very interested.
LOUISE MARKUS:
Well done, Simon. There’s never a better time to advocate.
MITCH FIFIELD:
In all seriousness, you know what you should do; you should go to the retail service providers and say to them, look, the NBN is coming to town, as they would know. We’re in the business of encouraging people, teaching people how to avail themselves of this. You’re all welcome to come and help out.
SIMON HARE:
That’s not a bad idea.
LOUISE MARKUS:
Actually there’s a number of providers that actually have community funding for such projects. Now might be a good time, Simon, I’m happy to support you.
SIMON HARE:
Thank you very much.
[ends]