21 January 2007
The Remote Area Planning and Development Board is concerned recent political tussles within the government concerning Telstra’s \\\\\\\$600m Broadband Connect bid may destabilise future telecommunications infrastructure provision in remote Queensland.
RAPAD General Manager, Mr David Arnold said Board members, led by Councillors Rob Dare and Bruce Scott, Mayors of Diamantina and Barcoo respectively, were quite concerned by recent statements in the media that suggests some influential members of the Coalition backbench may oppose a bid by Telstra to secure funding under this program. Both Mayors have been to Canberra recently lobbying for improved broadband to remote Queensland. In the media, Nationals MP Paul Neville, chairman of the powerful Coalition backbench committee on communications and IT, said it was possible the only positive outcome if Telstra were to win the tender would be that it "enhanced the carrier's monopoly position�. Cr Bruce Scott, has e-mailed Nationals MP Paul Neville about his comments and has also written to Prime Minister Howard and other senior ministers on this matter. “We appreciate this is a delicate issue�, said Mr Arnold, “as we certainly agree that competition in the marketplace is paramount however at present it doesn’t appear as though too many suppliers are going to want to supply modern broadband technology with backhaul capacity to very remote communities such as Jundah, Windorah, Birdsville, Bedourie, Jericho, Ilfracombe and a raft of other equally remote regions.� RAPAD in its submission to the Broadband Connect discussion paper in 2006 requested many overarching principles. Backhaul capacity and addressing market failure were two of those very important principles identified. “It was always been my belief that the \\\\\\\$1.1billion Connect Australia Fund was established to provide telecommunications services to areas of Australia where there is market failure and a commercial case does not exist for a telecommunications provider to proceed with increased services or upgrades outside of their Universal Service Obligation. From our observation Telstra are prepared to support remote Australia through this bid�, said Mr Arnold. Mr Arnold said he hoped that Mr Neville and his colleagues are supporting a rigorous assessment of all bidders against the principles of the programme and that Telstra were not being singled out because of political argy bargy. The delivery of the latest telecommunications services is in many ways far more important to remote areas than higher populated areas. There are so many essential services that are and could be further delivered through higher bandwidth services and Mr Arnold said he hopes that politics facilitates, rather than hinders, better broadband access in remote Queensland. Ends For further information contact: Cr Bruce Scott Barcoo Shire Mayor Phone: 46563193
Cr Rob Dare Diamantina Shire Mayor Phone: 47461202
Mr David Arnold General Manager, RAPAD Phone: 46583944 / 0428583301
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