NSW Government to ban NBN throughout the state

Stan Beer
Friday, 01 April 2011 07:18

IT Policy - Government Tech Policy

Fresh from its massive election win last week, the incoming O'Farrell Coalition Government in NSW has vowed to halt the Federal Government's National Broadband Network in its tracks. According to a report out of Macquarie Street, not one strand of NBN fibre will be allowed to reach one home in NSW even if residents choose to opt in to the rollout program.

NSW, by far the largest Australian state, with almost 40% of Australia's population, is a crucial part of the NBN program but will now be governed by an openly  hostile state government with a powerful mandate to stymie the Federal Government's legislation in a number of areas.

During his his election victory speech incoming premier Barry O'Farrell made it clear that he would "take the fight to the Gillard Federal Labor Government over the Carbon Tax". Mr O'Farrell also made it clear that he endorsed fellow NSW resident Federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott's confrontational stance on a range of issues and was happy to be seen with him on camera and in photo opportunities.

This morning a source from the O'Farrell Government appeared to confirm the report saying: "The NSW people have spoken last Saturday and the message was loud and clear - no NBN, no big fat Carbon tax, no Gillard and no Conroy. We don't want two Victorians determining the communications future of Sydney and regional NSW."

Unlike Mr O'Farrell, Victorian Liberal Premier Ted Baillieu has been strangely quiet on both the NBN and the Carbon Tax and far less confrontational with the Gillard Government, lending support to the theory that political alliances in Australia are starting to be shaped along parochial geographical state lines rather than party loyalty.

Mr Baillieu, PM Julia Gillard and Broadband Minister Stephen Conroy are all known to be staunchly Victorian down to the AFL football teams they support - Geelong, Western Bulldogs and Collingwood. Rugby League is anathema to them, unlike Barry O'Farrell, a fanatical NRL fan who hates AFL.

Mr O'Farrell also made it clear during his election speech that his goal is to make NSW "number one again", a tacit admission to the fact that Melbourne has moved ahead of Sydney as the premier city of Australia during the previous 16 years of continuous Labor Government rule in NSW.

The O'Farrell Government source said that Mr O'Farrell is openly declaring the NBN to be a "Victorian initiative" and has been heard in private conversations describing fibre as "Southern fibre", alluding to the fact that the first 600 customers of NBN Co are from Tasmania.

This morning, the four most popular Sydney radio hosts, referred to yesterday by Senator Conroy as Sydney shock jocks, are expected to have a field day with the news that their state premier has given them a chance to add to the 158 anti-NBN reports that Senator Conroy has attributed to them.

Hi there! Given that there is an important NBN story today (is there always one these days?) we thought we better come clean sooner rather than later with our April Fool gotcha and reveal there is absolutely no truth to this story whatsoever. We all know that Vic and NSW residents have nothing but respect and affection for each other...er perhaps we better leave it there!