Download Current Hansard 
View/Save XMLPrevious Fragment Next Fragment
-
Hansard
- Start of Business
-
ACIS ADMINISTRATION AMENDMENT BILL 2003
CUSTOMS TARIFF AMENDMENT (ACIS) BILL 2003 - BUSINESS
-
SUPERANNUATION (SURCHARGE RATE REDUCTION) AMENDMENT BILL 2003
SUPERANNUATION (GOVERNMENT CO-CONTRIBUTION FOR LOW INCOME EARNERS) BILL 2003
SUPERANNUATION (GOVERNMENT CO-CONTRIBUTION FOR LOW INCOME EARNERS) (CONSEQUENTIAL AMENDMENTS) BILL 2003 -
QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE
-
Family Services: Child Care
(Collins, Sen Jacinta, Vanstone, Sen Amanda) -
Health: Commonwealth-State Health Agreements
(McGauran, Sen Julian, Patterson, Sen Kay) -
Superannuation: Portability Regulations
(Sherry, Sen Nick, Coonan, Sen Helen) -
Economy: Household Savings
(Ferris, Sen Jeannie, Minchin, Sen Nick) -
Social Welfare: Pensions and Benefits
(Faulkner, Sen John, Vanstone, Sen Amanda) -
Iraq
(Bartlett, Sen Andrew, Hill, Sen Robert) -
Superannuation: Lump Sum Payments
(Buckland, Sen Geoffrey, Coonan, Sen Helen) -
Trade: Free Trade Agreement
(Murphy, Sen Shayne, Macdonald, Sen Ian) -
Superannuation: Contributions
(Sherry, Sen Nick, Coonan, Sen Helen) -
Small Business: Growth
(Barnett, Sen Guy, Abetz, Sen Eric) -
Superannuation: Portability Regulations
(Wong, Sen Penny, Coonan, Sen Helen) -
Environment: Murray-Darling River System
(Allison, Sen Lyn, Macdonald, Sen Ian) -
Women's Suffrage: Red Fan Monument
(Lundy, Sen Kate, Vanstone, Sen Amanda)
-
Family Services: Child Care
- PERSONAL EXPLANATIONS
- QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE: ADDITIONAL ANSWERS
- QUESTIONS WITHOUT NOTICE: TAKE NOTE OF ANSWERS
- CUSTOMS TARIFF AMENDMENT (ACIS) LEGISLATION
- PERSONAL EXPLANATIONS
- NOTICES
- SPORT: LAUREN JACKSON
-
COMMITTEES
- Regulations and Ordinances Committee
- Corporations and Financial Services Committee
- Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Legislation Committee
- Environment, Communications, Information Technology and the Arts Legislation Committee
- Regulations and Ordinances Committee
- Environment, Communications, Information Technology and the Arts References Committee
- Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee
- LINDH, MS ANNA
- DISPOSABLE DVDS
- AUSTRALIAN PARLIAMENT: ADDRESSES BY FOREIGN HEADS OF STATE
- WORLD TRADE ORGANISATION
- WORLD TRADE ORGANISATION
- DOCUMENTS
- COMMITTEES
- NATIONAL RESIDUE SURVEY (CUSTOMS) LEVY AMENDMENT BILL 2002
-
NATIONAL RESIDUE SURVEY (CUSTOMS) LEVY AMENDMENT BILL (NO. 2) 2003
NATIONAL RESIDUE SURVEY (EXCISE) LEVY AMENDMENT BILL 2002
NATIONAL RESIDUE SURVEY (EXCISE) LEVY AMENDMENT BILL (NO. 2) 2003 - FUEL QUALITY STANDARDS AMENDMENT BILL 2003
- BILLS RETURNED FROM THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
- BILLS RETURNED FROM THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
- COMMITTEES
-
SUPERANNUATION (SURCHARGE RATE REDUCTION) AMENDMENT BILL 2003
SUPERANNUATION (GOVERNMENT CO-CONTRIBUTION FOR LOW INCOME EARNERS) BILL 2003
SUPERANNUATION (GOVERNMENT CO-CONTRIBUTION FOR LOW INCOME EARNERS) (CONSEQUENTIAL AMENDMENTS) BILL 2003- Second Reading
-
In Committee
- Coonan, Sen Helen
- Sherry, Sen Nick
- Coonan, Sen Helen
- Coonan, Sen Helen
- Sherry, Sen Nick
- Coonan, Sen Helen
- Sherry, Sen Nick
- Coonan, Sen Helen
- Sherry, Sen Nick
- Coonan, Sen Helen
- Sherry, Sen Nick
- Coonan, Sen Helen
- Sherry, Sen Nick
- Coonan, Sen Helen
- Sherry, Sen Nick
- Brown, Sen Bob
- Coonan, Sen Helen
- Cherry, Sen John
- Sherry, Sen Nick
- Coonan, Sen Helen
- Sherry, Sen Nick
- Coonan, Sen Helen
- DOCUMENTS
- ADJOURNMENT
- DOCUMENTS
-
QUESTIONS ON NOTICE
-
Telstra: Australian Telecommunications Network Inquiry
(Mackay, Sen Sue, Alston, Sen Richard) -
Telstra: Customer Network Improvement Database
(Mackay, Sen Sue, Alston, Sen Richard) -
Telstra: Contractors
(Mackay, Sen Sue, Alston, Sen Richard) -
Telstra: Employees
(Mackay, Sen Sue, Alston, Sen Richard) -
Western Australia: Centrelink Debt
(Webber, Sen Ruth, Vanstone, Sen Amanda) -
Indonesia: Mining and Forestry
(Brown, Sen Bob, Hill, Sen Robert) -
Defence: Military Compensation Scheme
(Bishop, Sen Mark, Hill, Sen Robert) -
Indigenous Affairs: Sandon Point
(Brown, Sen Bob, Hill, Sen Robert) -
Rio Tinto Foundation for a Sustainable Minerals Industry
(Brown, Sen Bob, Minchin, Sen Nick) -
Environment: FutureGen
(Brown, Sen Bob, Alston, Sen Richard) -
Communications: Subscription
(Webber, Sen Ruth, Alston, Sen Richard)
-
Telstra: Australian Telecommunications Network Inquiry
Page: 15350
Senator Mackay
asked the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, upon notice, on 18 June 2003:
With reference to the Customer Network Improvement (CNI) database:
(1) How many CNIs are there in the database at present, given that on 6 December the total figure quoted by Telstra was 112 159, an increase from the number quoted by Mr Estens in his report, which was 104 500 for February 2002.
(2) How many CNIs are there in each of the five priority classifications at present.
(3) What is the oldest CNI in each of the five priority classifications at present.
(4) What is the volume of CNIs that have been cleared from the database since 6 December 2002, in each of the priority classifications.
(5) Is it true that Telstra has changed the reporting process for CNIs, given the evidence presented by the Communications, Electrical, Electronic, Energy, Information, Postal, Plumbing and Allied Services Union at the Environment, Communications, Information Technology and the Arts References Committee hearing into the Australian telecommunications network in Sydney on 19 May 2003 that there is a new process which involves a telephone call to the CNI phone number, and that the paperwork that used to be utilised is no longer required under this new process.
(6) (a) When did this system change; and (b) what is the rationale behind it.
(7) How are CNI tasks now allocated to customer field staff.
(8) Who can access the CNI database.
(9) Can team leaders in specific regional areas access the CNI database.
Senator Alston (Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts)
—The answer to the honourable senator's question, based on information provided by Telstra, is as follows:
This answer is based on advice from Telstra and is substantively the same as the Telstra response to Question on Notice 127 from the Budget Estimates Hearings in May 2003
(1) Telstra has advised that as at 10 June 2003, there were 123,803 CNIs in the database.
(2) Telstra has advised that numbers of CNIs in each of the 5 priority classifications were as follows:
Priority 1 587
Priority 2 1,706
Priority 3 17,697
Priority 4 7,238
Priority 5 96,575
Telstra has advised that as of 1 July 2003 the CNI recording system changed from a `priority' based system to a `category' based system. The `priority' to `category' change occurred during the last week of June. Telstra has indicated that the purpose of the change is to simplify the process and make CNI types clearer and more logical and to aim to reduce cycle times.
Telstra has advised that the new categories are:
Category 1 | Safety Related | Specifically related to safety CNIs |
Category 2 | Customer Escalations | ESD, NRF and Cicero related CNIs |
Category 3 | Potential Service Affecting | Assessed as possessing a higher risk of causing future disruption to service. |
Category 4 | Programmable Work | Identified (from a business perspective) as needing to be programmed for completion (utilising the CNI Decision Framework) |
Category 5 | Asset Management | Managed by the Cyclic Management process. A robust initial evaluation is conducted and ongoing monitoring occurs (by way of auto triggers) to escalate or archive as required. |
Comparison of old and new categories:
Old | New | ||
|---|---|---|---|
Priority 1 | Escalated CNIs | Category 1 | Safety Related |
Priority 2 | ESD / Service Affecting | Category 2 | Customer Escalations |
Priority 3 | Safety | Category 3 | Potential Service Affecting |
Priority 4 | Not Used | Category 4 | Programmable Work |
Priority 5 | Low Priority | Category 5 | Asset Management |
Telstra has advised that as part of the new process the current outstanding volume of low priority (Priority 5) CNIs will be effectively managed with a focus on using business rules to determine the appropriate management action. Experts from the National Fault Reduction Group are reviewing existing Category 5 CNIs to ascertain appropriate management plans.
Telstra has indicated that the majority (80%, or over 90,000) of outstanding CNIs are priority 5, of which 22,000 are over 2 years old and have never had a re-report. Telstra expects that the new approach will significantly reduce outstanding volumes through validation of the low priority CNIs.
(3) Telstra has advised that as at 10 June 2003, the oldest CNI in each of the 5 Priority classifications was as follows:
Priority 1 | 1997—Currently under field investigation |
Priority 2 | 1997—Required construction now completed - waiting cutover to new plant. |
Priority 3 | 1996—Currently under investigation. |
Priority 4 | 1996—Waiting selection under pro-active rehabilitation/growth projects |
Priority 5 | 1996—Waiting selection under pro-active rehabilitation/growth projects |
(4) Telstra has provided figures for the numbers of CNIs as at 31 December 2002 and the volume of CNIs cleared from the database between 6th December 2002 and 10 June 2003, in each of the priority classifications. These are:
CNIs as at 31 Dec 2002
Priority | Total |
|---|---|
1 | 373 |
2 | 1,087 |
3 | 13,982 |
4 | 8,697 |
5 | 89,662 |
CNIs cleared from the database between 6th December 2002 and 10 June 2003
Priority | Volume |
|---|---|
1 | 690 |
2 | 2,670 |
3 | 5,049 |
4 | 1,799 |
5 | 19,971 |
(5) Telstra has advised that a new CNI process is being implemented that changes the CNI reporting process from paper entry to a phone-in system for direct entry to the CNI record database.
(6) (a) Telstra has advised that the new CNI process has been progressively implemented nationally starting from 1 December, 2002. (b) Telstra has advised that the new process is designed to reduce the cycle time on Safety and Service Affecting CNIs. The phone-in process allows immediate recording of CNIs while the paper based process caused a delay between CNI identification and recording. Telstra has advised that it considers that it is a simpler and less onerous option for field staff to make reports by telephone.
(7) Telstra has advised that CNI jobs are issued either as a `local' job via DIRECTOR (work dispatch system) or as a `ticket of work' despatched via DIRECTOR (current system) or CONNECT (new system).
(8) Telstra has advised that access to the CNI database is provided on job need basis, controlled via a register, and only registered users may access the database.
(9) Telstra has advised that Team Leaders have access to reports produced from the CNI database.