Tassie roll-out unaffected by J/V collapse: Premier

James Riley
Tuesday, 09 November 2010 18:20

IT Policy - Government Tech Policy

The Tasmanian Government continued to work closely with the Commonwealth on the National Broadband Network project, and the roll-out timetable would be unaffected by the changed ownership plans for the local NBN company, Premier David Bartlett has told iTWire.

Premier Bartlett said the Prime Minister Julia Gillard and Communications Minister Stephen Conroy had "re-confirmed all their commitments to Tasmania" on the NBN, and that the roll-out would connect optical fibre to 200,000 premises in the state by 2014.
'The exact commercial model used for delivering the NBN is not a major issue - whether it's through a joint-venture or other commercial arrangements," the Premier said in a statement.
'Nor will it affect the actual NBN roll-out itself," Mr Bartlett said.
'The Tasmanian Government is getting on with the job of helping connect 200,000 premises to optic fibre by 2014."
'Tasmanians will experience the advantage of those improvements before the rest of Australia."
Communications Minister Stephen Conroy's office today confirmed that the Commonwealth, Aurora Energy and the Tasmanian Government have decided not to pursue a joint venture arrangement in Tasmania.
The NBN Tasmania Company was announced 18 months ago as a joint-venture. But despite lengthy discussions, the joint-venture was never consumated and remains a 100 per cent-owned subsidiary of NBN Co.
Premier Bartlett said he had met with Senator Conroy and the Prime Minister on the issue recently.
"The Tasmanian Government continues to work closely with the Federal Government, to deliver subsequent stages of the roll-out on time and on budget," Mr Bartlett said.
"In my recent meetings with the Prime Minister and Senator Conroy, they re-confirmed all their commitments to Tasmania on this matter."
Tasmanian Liberal senator Guy Barnett says the failure of the two Government's to consumate the joint-venture arrangement "raised serious questions about the commercial viability of the project in Tasmania."
"After more than a year of meetings there has been no progress and now the plan has collapsed. At least three directors have resigned or not been reappointed. It is looking more like a sham each day," Senator Barnett said.
'Senator Conroy said in Senate estimates (last month) that he was pursuing discussions with the Premier regarding the joint venture arrangement in the 'near future.'"
'The Federal Government now says it will go at it alone in Tasmania without the support and equity involvement of the Tasmanian Government. This decision is an embarrassment to both governments," he said.