Question Time Response - Telecommunications: Broadband

Mr Dan Repacholi, Member for Hunter: My question is to the Minister for Communications. What is the Albanese Labor government doing to boost connectivity for regional communities, and why is this investment needed in these areas?

Minister for Communications, Michelle Rowland: I thank the member for Hunter for his question. He's a passionate advocate for his region, right across the portfolio. The Albanese government understands the vital role that communications services play for those living and working in regional and peri-urban Australia. We've been reminded all too often, through the ravages of bushfires, floods and COVID, of the importance of resilient and reliable communications networks. That's why our government is delivering the largest regional communications funding package since the inception of the NBN, at over $2.2 billion.

Our better connectivity plan is providing $656 million for regional connectivity and communications resilience, including $30 million to expand on-farm connectivity. Improving connectivity for primary producers will create more opportunities to use digital technologies to more productively and efficiently improve the safety of farmers at work. The connected technologies have brilliant practical application, from soil moisture monitoring to automated farm gates. We've also committed $1.1 billion to deliver high-speed NBN broadband with full fibre connections to 660,000 regional homes and businesses, finally fixing the copper mess left by those opposite.

This morning I joined my colleague the minister for regional development and her constituent Margot, from the Jerrabomberra Residents Association, who was incredibly excited to have finally received a full fibre NBN connection. After years of advocacy, Margot was elated. In her words, 'Today is a very special day.' Margot finally has reliable, high-speed broadband with a fibre connection. Margot runs a branding business, and she often works from home. She explained the frustrations with her old copper connection—slow and unreliable; a legacy of the former coalition government's disastrous second-rate technology mix. Her story is one that I've heard many times across the country. Copper is less reliable, more expensive to maintain and more likely to experience prolonged faults, as Margot and her community have experienced firsthand.

As to why these investments are needed, it's because it was not just the technology that those opposite got wrong; they also managed to create an economic mess with a $29 billion cost blowout thanks to the very puzzling purchase of 60,000 kilometres of new copper. This government has a clear program underway to ensure that, by the end of 2025, 90 per cent of the fixed line networks, some 10 million premises, can access gigabit speeds, which augurs so well for our regions and their ongoing growth.