15 December 2004
Remote Territory Communities to be Short Changed Over Telstra Sale
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Paul Henderson MLA
Minister for Communications
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Communications Minister Paul Henderson warned today that remote Territory communities will face further and growing disadvantage should the Commonwealth sell the rest of Telstra under current communications conditions in the bush.
“Unless the Commonwealth genuinely commits to the bush, remote communities, as well as the pastoral, mining and tourism industries will be grossly short changed,” said Mr Henderson.
“Modern communications should help level the playing field of economic development in the bush—lack of access makes it an uphill battle.
“Delivering access to telecommunications infrastructure that provides a similar level of service as enjoyed in the metropolitan areas of Australia will require at least $80 million. This will provide adequate telecommunication services, including mobile coverage and broadband internet to 80 per cent of the remote population in the Territory.
“Forty per cent of the population living in remote areas of the Northern Territory currently do not have adequate communications. Less than 40 forty per cent of the population in remote areas have access to mobile phones.
“The Northern Territory has approximately 600 permanent communities, but only 13 per cent of these communities have access to metropolitan equivalent telecommunication services.
Mr Henderson said Indigenous people living in the remote communities of the Territory are amongst the most disadvantaged in Australia, and have the most to gain from equivalently priced metropolitan standard telecommunication services that most of us take for granted.
“For example Wadeye, with an indigenous population of around 2,500 has no mobile service and only dial up speed internet.
“Commonwealth and NT government services could be far more effective for the people living in remote areas if reliable and appropriately priced telecommunication services were provided.
“The distances that separate our communities from our major centres mean that reliable, metropolitan priced telecommunication services are more highly valued, particularly during those periods when physical access is restricted by the weather, often for as long as 4 to 6 months each year,” said Mr Henderson.