SENATOR THE HON KATY GALLAGHER
MINISTER FINANCE
MINISTER FOR WOMEN
MINISTER FOR THE PUBLIC SERVICE
E&OE TRANSCRIPT
RADIO INTERVIEW
ABC CANBERRA
MONDAY, 13 JANUARY 2025
SUBJECTS: Faster NBN for 100,000 more Canberrans; Dutton’s cuts to services.
GEORGIA STYNES, HOST: There was an announcement today, wasn’t there? It is an election year, of course. Now, there was an announcement in regards to the National Broadband Network and there is a Canberra element to this, and what you can expect here in Canberra. So, joining us to have a discussion about this is Senator Katy Gallagher. She is joining us right now on ABC Radio. Good morning – good afternoon to you. Katy, have I got you? Let’s see if I can just get her back.
SENATOR THE HON KATY GALLAGHER, MINISTER FOR FINANCE: Hello?
STYNES: Hi Katy, I’ve got you now, thanks so much for your time. Could we talk firstly about this announcement? Can you explain what it’s going to mean for people in Canberra and who is going to get it?
GALLAGHER: Yes, so look, this is an issue that comes up all the time with me with people when they’re chatting to me in the street, the supermarket, places like that, access to high-speed broadband. So, our announcement today – which is to invest up to $3 billion to essentially finish the rollout of the National Broadband Network, get rid of the copper that is degrading and isn’t delivering the services people need and replace that with full fibre connections. And there’s about 622,000 premises across Australia which will benefit, but almost 100,000 of them are going to be in the ACT. So, right across the ACT, I could go through the regions with you –
STYNES: Well, how do people find out, I guess, is the question. If people are listening now, so we don’t do a long list, how do they find out if their street or their area is?
GALLAGHER: Well, information will be provided on NBN Co’s – information, as they do on their website. But essentially, there’s 97,000 fibre-to-the-node – which is basically the copper system now – that’s left in the ACT. And we would be addressing all of that. And it would mean 94 per cent of premises in the ACT will reach gigabit capability, which is sort of the international standard now, by the time that this rollout finishes, which is between now and 2030. So, it’ll essentially be done over the next 5 years.
STYNES: Senator, who isn’t getting it in the ACT? Were there areas that are missing out?
GALLAGHER: Well, I just said 94 per cent of premises will have it – that’s based on this almost 100,000 premises. The ones – the 6 per cent – really are the ones that have fibre-to-the-basement now, which is the apartment complexes and things like that. And they aren’t having the same issues as the fibre-to-the-node networks in terms of being exposed and degrading and all those types of issues. But this is dealing with the, you know, 94 per cent of Canberrans and their premises will be covered by high-speed fibre, high-speed broadband.
STYNES: Why now and why has it taken so long?
GALLAGHER: Well, our first – obviously, in our first term, we made a commitment to upgrade the NBN and we made an investment, an equity investment, into that. That rollout is almost finished, so the Chief Executive of NBN Co confirmed today that would be complete, on-budget, on-time, by the end of 2025. And this really is the next and final stage. Because this would address all of that, you know, copper – the decision essentially of the former Liberal government, which was to not have fibre but to build the remaining parts of the NBN with copper. And that’s proven to be a costly waste of time, basically.
STYNES: We did get a message through earlier from a listener saying that they wanted to – they’re in a townhouse and they won’t be included in that. So, are townhouses for the most part excluded or is that just this particular suburb?
GALLAGHER: Well, I’m not sure of where that is, but like I said there is, for those that have the technology delivered through the – I’m just looking for the correct terminology – but it essentially is where you have it done through the basement. Usually large apartment complexes and things like that. So, I’m not quite sure of that individual’s circumstance, but that really is the remaining 6 per cent.
STYNES: We’ve also got a couple of texts from people who say they’re outside Canberra – so, in rural areas, and said when will we get access? So, are there areas, still within our listening area but outside the ACT borders that you can talk to?
GALLAGHER: Well, for sure. I mean this really is to deal with the remaining – like I said, nationally, it’s a program for about 622,000 premises to upgrade from the copper system into the full fibre. There will be some parts of the country which will rely on other technology utilised by NBN, and it may be that some of those areas cover that. But between this investment – really, this investment should cover the vast majority of Australian premises, whether you’re regional, remote, in cities, because we’re looking at the technology mix and obviously this fibre system through the cities.
STYNES: Obviously, we know an election’s coming, but have you got any more good news you can announce yet for Canberra people?
GALLAGHER: Well, I’m always in there arguing for Canberrans, as you know. I mean, this is the first time Canberra’s had a Finance Minister that’s also a Canberra Senator and I’m not going to waste that opportunity. So, every time on every policy, I’m in there arguing for Canberrans and for Canberrans to get a fair deal. And this has been an issue I’ve been raising for years. Under the former government, I don’t think they were too interested in Canberra, but I’ve been working with Michelle Rowland and the PM on this one to make sure that – you know, it just doesn’t make any sense, the nation’s capital, we were told we would be one of those first really connected-up cities, and you know, we’ve been falling behind under the copper-based system. So, this fixes that.
STYNES: One other thing we also heard today was the Coalition announced a plan to cut public service jobs. I guess your response to that as the Senator?
GALLAGHER: I was asked about this earlier today and I think it’s really the Coalition going to their tired old rulebook, election book, which means demonising Canberra, cutting jobs in Canberra and taking the public service back to what we saw occur under Robodebt, where we also saw lots of use of external consultants and contractors doing the work of public servants. So, we’re going to obviously hold them to account on this, but yeah. Two thirds of the new jobs have been created outside of the ACT, but we have also ensured that Canberra, here, we are resourcing the public service properly. And so, all of those investments are important and you know means that we can deliver services the Australian people rely on. I don’t think you’ll find one person in the country who doesn’t touch government somehow – through the tax system, through payments, through regulatory approvals, through their interactions with business, and it’s important that the public service is resourced properly. It’s just lazy policy from them as usual, but not unexpected.
STYNES: But tricky policy, too, if you are running as a Liberal here in the ACT, if you’ve got this policy?
GALLAGHER: You would think so, but as I said, I don’t think the Liberals have ever cared too much for Canberra and that’s reflected in the fact that there are no Liberals representing Canberra federally anymore. So yes, I would imagine this would be deeply unpopular in Canberra but also in all of those regions where we have employed people in Centrelink, in Services Australia, in Veterans’ Affairs, in Defence, in all of the national security, the AFP, all providing services to the Australian community. And it’s my job to make sure that Mr Dutton has to explain himself and how you can cut 20 per cent of the public service and still deliver services.
STYNES: Thanks so much for your time Senator, I appreciate it.
GALLAGHER: Thanks so much, Georgia.
ENDS
