p style=”text-align: justify”>Member for Ballarat, Catherine King MP, today welcomed the announcement by the Australian Government that work will commence to connect an additional 4,600 homes and businesses in and around Ballarat to the NBN by 30 June 2016.
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Member for Ballarat, Catherine King MP, today welcomed the announcement by the Australian Government that work will commence to connect an additional 4,600 homes and businesses in and around Ballarat to the NBN by 30 June 2016.
Ms King said today the updated three year rollout plan builds on work already commenced and will bring the total number of homes and businesses where NBN construction will commence or be complete by 30 June 2016 in and around Ballarat to more than 37,200 premises.
“This is fantastic news for so many people in our community: for local businesses, for teachers and students, professionals across health care, aged care and the list goes on,” said Ms King.
"The NBN has enormous potential to level the playing field between regional and urban Australia in business and service delivery and fits with Labor’s philosophy that all Australians, regardless of where they live, should have access to high-quality services and employment opportunities.”
Ms King said that under Labor’s plan, all homes and businesses would be able to access the NBN at no connection cost so that everyone could enjoy the benefits of fast, fibre broadband.
"The reality is that under Tony Abbott homes and businesses in our local area would have their connection to the NBN cancelled and would be forced to pay up to $5,000 or be left disconnected from Labor’s NBN,” said Ms King.
"I know there are families in and around Ballarat that simply can’t afford up to $5,000 to connect under Tony Abbott’s plan. We believe that everyone deserves access to the NBN – not just those families who can afford up to $5,000 to connect.”
"Under Tony Abbott there will be a digital divide in every suburb of our local area – we just don’t think it’s fair."
Key highlights of the updated three year roll out plan include:
? Delivery of the NBN will be complete or underway to a total of more than 37,200 homes and businesses by 30 June 2016
? Labor is delivering the NBN to homes and businesses in the suburbs of Bacchus Marsh, Darley, Maddingley, Bakery Hill, Ballarat Central, Ballarat East, Ballarat
North, Black Hill, Brown Hill, Buninyong, Canadian, Eureka, Golden Point, Invermay Park, Lake Wendouree, Mount Clear, Mount Helen,
? Mount Pleasant, Nerrina, Newington, Soldiers Hill, Ballan, Myrniong, Clunes, Creswick, Daylesford, Hepburn, Hepburn Springs, Musk and Trentham by 30 June 2016
? The fibre rollout is currently under construction or complete to 23,567 premises
? Under Tony Abbott, homes and businesses will have their planned construction cancelled and have to pay up to $5,000 or be left disconnected from Labor’s NBN.
Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Stephen Conroy said the Australian Government’s updated three year roll out plan includes plans to connect an additional 1.3 million homes and businesses to the NBN, bringing the total number of premises where NBN construction will commence or be complete by 30 June 2016 to more than 6 million premises.
"Our internet needs are growing and we simply can’t rely on the ageing copper network that was designed for telephones, not high-speed broadband,” Minister Conroy said
"By the time today’s year 7 students finish high school, their household internet needs will have increased six-fold – we need the NBN to meet our needs now and into the future.
"Tony Abbott’s ageing copper wire network won’t meet our needs – all households need access to fibre NBN and only Labor’s NBN will deliver this."
For more information about the NBN rollout visit www.nbnco.com.au/rollout.