Gillard government overrides state and local planning laws – threatening Bradfield with more overhead cables

Communities in Bradfield face the blight of more overhead cables from the Gillard government’s $50 billion plus National Broadband Network (NBN), Mr Paul Fletcher MP, Federal Member for Bradfield, said today.

“Last week Labor’s Broadband Minister Stephen Conroy quietly released the proposed new laws - which would allow the NBN to build overhead cables across Australia regardless of local planning requirements,” Mr Fletcher said.

“Labor’s new laws will mean that our beautiful Bradfield treescape and streets are under threat – and neither the NSW state government nor our local councils in Ku-ring-gai, Hornsby and Willoughby will be able to do anything about it.

“The new laws will destroy the balance carefully struck by the Howard Government in the mid nineties, when it introduced the Low Impact Facilities Determination under the Telecommunications Act.  The Howard Government took this action following extensive community protest about Telstra and Optus rolling out new overhead cables.

“Now Labor intends to greatly widen the scope of the Low Impact Facilities Determination – so NBN will be free to build just about anything without needing planning permission from state or local governments – including in heritage areas and areas of great natural beauty.

“Communities will be justifiably angry about a re-run of the overhead cable battles of the mid-nineties.”

NBN Co’s Corporate Plan says that the company plans to connect 25 per cent of premises with overhead cables – that means up to three million premises around Australia.

The documents released last week show that this measure is designed to save costs, stating “While the construction of the NBN involves considerable expenditure, an additional requirement to move all cabling underground would add substantially to its cost.”

“It seems that as the costs of the NBN mount, environmental considerations are going out the window,” Mr Fletcher concluded.

The consultation paper, and information about how to lodge a submission, can be found at http://tiny.cc/bd3xv  .

Media Contact – Georgia-Kate Schubert 02 9465 3950 or 0414 210216