A significant number of Illawarra suburbs have once again been left off the latest NBN rollout map just released by NBN Co. The Member for Cunningham Sharon Bird and Member for Throsby Stephen Jones have expressed anger on behalf of suburbs across the region which will be stuck with no broadband or poor quality broadband access until at least 2016.
Malcolm Turnbull had promised that areas that had the poorest broadband would get the NBN first. In one of his first speeches as Communications Minister, he said:
“Addressing these underserviced areas first is a key objective of our NBN policy.”
Malcolm Turnbull, CommsDay Conference, 18 November 2013
“The Abbott Government has also broken their promise that every Australian would have access to the Coalition’s NBN by 2016,” Sharon Bird said.
Before the election Tony Abbott also made a promise about broadband speeds when he said:
“Under the Coalition, by 2016…there will be minimum download speeds of 25 megabits… We will deliver a minimum of 25 megabits…by the end of our first term.”
Tony Abbott, Coalition Policy Launch, 9 April 2013
“The people of the Illawarra might not have liked the Coalition’s second rate NBN plan, but they were told they would get it by 2016,” Sharon Bird said.
“The Abbott Government won the election promising everyone would have the NBN by the next election. They lied.” Stephen Jones said.
“According to these reports, less than a half of all Australian households will have the NBN by the time of the next election.” Mr Jones said.
“This Government has lied about health funding, lied about education funding, lied about cutting the pension, lied about cutting the ABC and SBS and now it is clear that they have lied about the NBN” Sharon Bird and Stephen Jones said.
For more information on the Abbott Government's broken promises visit www.abbottslies.com.au
2 December 2014
List of Illawarra suburbs that now have to wait until at least 2016 for broadband upgrades:
Fairy Meadow
Mount Ousley
Balgownie
Towradgi
Parts of Tarrawanna
Fernhill
Keiraville
Parts of Figtree
Unanderra
Farmborough Heights
Parts of Woonona
Austinmer
Thirroul
Coledale
Coalcliff
Wombarra
Scarborough
Stanwell Park
Otford
Helensburgh
Bundeena
Warrawong
Lake Heights
Berkeley
Flinders
Haywards Bay
Yallah
Oak Flats
Barrack Heights
Warilla
Primbee
Windang
Robertson
Exeter
Burradoo
Berrima
New Berrima
Bowral