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Telecommunications Minchin introduces bill to get $43B NBN plan scrutinised
Telecommunications Minchin introduces bill to get $43B NBN plan scrutinised | Minchin introduces bill to get $43B NBN plan scrutinised |
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| by Stuart Corner | |
| Monday, 15 June 2009 | |
  
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Minchin's bill would amend the Act to allow for either House of Parliament to refer any infrastructure proposal to Infrastructure Australia for analysis and assessment under these terms. In particular the proposed amendment would require IA to assess the NBN against the Building Australia Fund evaluation criteria since the government is proposing to use $2.4b from this fund for the NBN. The BAF evaluation criteria stipulate that a proposal "should demonstrate through a cost-benefit analysis that the proposal represents good value for money." "This bill is designed to ensure that some degree of proper scrutiny and due diligence is applied to a project that will put at risk billions of taxpayer dollars," Minchin said. "It requires IA to provide a written report to the minister for communications, outlining details of assessment methodology, which is to be tabled in Parliament." He added: "Labor has said its original failed NBN Mark I proposal was immune from IA scrutiny because it was an election promise. This lame excuse does not cut it for NBN Mark II, as it is an entirely different and vastly more expensive proposal."
This article first appeared in ExchangeDaily, iTWire's daily newsletter for telecommunications professionals. Register here for your free trial.
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