Reps NBN enquiry wraps up consultation phase

Stuart Corner
Thursday, 26 May 2011 19:52

IT Policy - Regulation

The House of Representatives Infrastructure and Communications Committee's  inquiry into the role and potential of the National Broadband Network (NBN) will hold its final public hearing in Canberra tomorrow 27 May.

It will then go away and digest the input from 14 public hearings and 232 submissions to prepare its final report, due by August 2011. The enquiry was initiated by the minister for infrastructure and transport, Anthony Albanese, on 16 November  2010. Its terms of reference require it to "examine the capacity of the National Broadband Network to contribute to..." a whole range of issues associated with national welfare and economic and social development.

Committee chair, Sharon Bird, - said today that 'the Committee has spent much of the past three months speaking to organisations across the country about the significant impact that the NBN will have on the Australian economy and society. On Friday'¦we will hear from two of the key government agencies for the NBN - the Departments of Broadband and Finance. We'll also be hearing from the Department of Regional Australia about the role the NBN can play in regenerating our regions, and from the Inspire Foundation about how the NBN will improve the delivery of mental health services.'

Meanwhile, one would expect that the National Digital Economy Strategy, which communications minister senator Stephen Conroy is expected to release on 31 May, would deal comprehensively with the role such a key piece of national infrastructure as the NBN is expected to have on the Australian economy and society.