Mr VASTA (9:41 AM) —The government’s launch of Australia Connected this week is a major step forward in the delivery of fast, affordable broadband to the residents of Bonner. I note that the centrepiece of Australia Connected is the immediate rollout of a new competitive state-of-the-art broadband network that will not only extend high-speed services to 99 per cent of the population but provide speeds of 12 megabits per second by 2009. This landmark funding initiative will enable blanket high-speed broadband coverage across the entire electorate of Bonner, so that everyone living and working in the electorate will, over the next two years, have access to fast affordable broadband for the first time. I commend the government on committing $958 million to this new network and I am pleased to note that this funding will be complemented by $917 million from the network builder OPEL—a joint venture between Optus and Elders.

In addition to the new high-speed wireless broadband network, Bonner households and small businesses will also enjoy the benefits of a world-class optic fibre network. At 20 to 50 megabits per second, this new fibre network is dramatically faster than anything currently available and will be rolled out through Australia’s capital cities and major regional centres. I believe that all residents in Bonner can benefit from the Australia Connected initiative, including those working in our hospitals, schools and families who use the internet to keep in touch with loved ones and our businesspeople, who are increasingly reliant upon fast broadband to connect their customers and suppliers and to find new markets for their product.

Australia Connected is a three-part proposal and it includes the Australian broadband guarantee, a program that offers significant benefits to Bonner residents in areas such as Tingalpa, Litton, Burbank and Mansfield, who will be able to access increased subsidies of up to $2,750 per connection. This is a five-fold increase in the subsidy. The announcement of Australia Connected is a further demonstration of this government’s real commitment to ensuring fast, affordable broadband services for all Australians, regardless of where they live. The Broadband Now service, a one-stop shop consumer help centre with telephone and web information, is another practical initiative that I believe will help consumers understand the technology options available to them and provide ready information about how to get connected. Australia Connected is the Howard government’s nationwide broadband solution that will revolutionise communications in Australia. It provides that which Australians need tomorrow not today.