Residents in Melbourne’s west remain in the dark over the rollout of the national broadband network, according to Labor MPs.
Federal opposition communications spokesman Jason Clare and Gellibrand MP Tim Watts met local government and community organisation representatives on Friday to discuss concerns about the slow NBN roll-out in Footscray.
“Most residents have no idea when they are going to get the NBN or what they are going to get,” Mr Watts said.
“[Communications Minister] Malcolm Turnbull should be up front with the residents of Melbourne’s west and tell them exactly when they are going to get the NBN and what version they will get.”
Mr Turnbull last week argued a cost-benefit analysis of Labor’s NBN scheme had found the proposed model would cost more and be slower to deliver than the government’s revised plan.
He said the review confirmed the decision to proceed with a multi-technology mix and dump Labor’s plan to take fibre into 93 per cent of premises.
“On a financial basis, purely financial basis, that saves over $30 billion,” Mr Turnbull told ABC radio.
“And when you do the cost-benefit analysis, which has been done now and completed, which takes into account all of the social benefits to the whole society – e-health, education, the works – even on that basis, the approach we’re taking is $16 billion better.”
Mr Watts said the community feared being stuck with “a second-rate NBN” that relied on the copper network.
“There is a real risk the Abbott government will create two classes of people in Melbourne’s west – those who get the real NBN and those who don’t,” he said.
