[Greens-Media] Liberals must drop 'demolition delusion' as NBN rolls out to half a million more homes

[Torre, Giovanni (Sen S. Ludlam)]

Liberals must drop 'demolition delusion' as NBN rolls out to half a
million more homes

Media Release: Senator Scott Ludlam, Tuesday October 18th, 2011

 

The Coalition's destructive fantasy of wrecking the National Broadband
Network becomes more untenable by the day, with today's publication of
forward plans to take the network to half a million more Australian
households over the next 12 months.

 

Australian Greens communication spokesperson Senator Scott Ludlam said
Tony Abbott's vow to "demolish" the NBN becomes increasingly dangerous
with every suburb and township connected to the infrastructure project.

 

"At 81,700 premises the connection is already in place or the work is
being carried out right now, over the next 12 months another 485,100
homes around Australia will be connected to the high-speed fibre
broadband network," said Senator Ludlam. "The Opposition's costly and
risky demolition delusion has to end." 

 

"The Coalition has turned its back on the outer suburbs and regional
Australia by opposing a project that will bring high speed
communications to millions of people. Perhaps internet speeds in the
electorate of Wentworth are up to scratch, but many of our country's
small businesses, schools, local councils and other groups and
individuals have to work with extremely slow and unreliable internet
connections. 

 

"Access Economics recently reported that the internet contributed $50
billion to the Australian economy in 2010, an annual figure that will
increase to $70 billion over the next five years. A nation-wide
high-speed internet service will be a huge boost to the economy - and
especially to local employment in regional Australia - for many years to
come."

 

Senator Ludlam said 75,000 new connections would be constructed in his
home state Western Australia in Applecross, Geraldton, Mandurah, Meadow
Springs, Pinjarra, South Perth and Victoria Park, in addition to the
2,800 already underway in Geraldton. 

 

"This 12-month schedule marks the end of the preliminary systems trial
phase, the beginning of the volume rollout, and the final nail in the
Coalition's costly and partisan scheme to wreck the NBN."

 

 

Media Contact: Giovanni Torre - 0417 174 302