031/05
6 April 2005

Broadband funding for rural and remote Western Australia

The Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Senator Helen Coonan, today announced in Broome funding of $1.3 million for six far north Western Australia towns to deploy broadband solutions under the Australian Government's Coordinated Communications Infrastructure Fund (CCIF).

"The towns of Broome, Derby, Fitzroy Crossing, Halls Creek, Kununurra and Wyndham in the Kimberley region will dramatically improve broadband services in the Kimberley," Senator Coonan said.

The project, being implemented by the Western Australian Government, in partnership with the Kimberley Development Commission, will allow those living within 50 kilometres of each of these towns to receive better access to more affordable broadband solutions and improved health and education services.

The Kimberley project is one of six new regional broadband preferred applicants announced by the Minister, including:

• a fibre and wireless deployment in Port Lincoln combined with wireless backhaul to Port Augusta in South Australia;
• a broadband solution for 5,000 people from Wadeye, Palumpa, Peppimenarti and Daly Rivers in the remote north west communities of the Northern Territory; and
• a mobile wireless broadband network for use by breast screen vans and other users in 15 Victorian towns including Wangaratta, Shepparton, Echuca, Swan Hill, Ballarat and Hamilton.

A full list of the projects to receive funding under the second and final round of the CCIF is attached.

The CCIF program encourages health, education and other sectors of public interest to work together and maximise opportunities for improved broadband access and services in rural, regional and remote Australia.

The $23.7 million CCIF is one element of the Government's National Broadband Strategy and forms part of the Government's response to the Regional Telecommunications Inquiry.

More information on the CCIF program is available at www.dcita.gov.au/ie/broadband.

Second round broadband projects funded under the Coordinated Communications Infrastructure Fund

Western Australia

Kimberley Broadband Solutions

This project will deploy broadband solutions to the Kimberley region of far north Western Australia including regions around the towns of Broome, Derby, Fitzroy Crossing, Halls Creek, Kununurra and Wyndham.

Communities in the Kimberley region will have increased access to distance education opportunities, online banking and e-business facilities. Health professionals will also have improved access to medical records and specialist services.

The Western Australian Department of Industry and Resources will lead the project, in partnership with the Kimberley Development Commission and the Western Australian Departments of Treasury and Finance and Local Government and Regional Development.

Northern Territory

Thamarrurr Regional Infrastructure Upgrade

This project will provide for microwave, DSL and CDMA 1xRTT solutions for 5,000 people in the communities of Wadeye, Palumpa, Peppimenarti and Daly Rivers in the remote north west of the Northern Territory.

Remote communities in the region will benefit from better access to government services and distance education opportunities with improved access to training and specialist services for health professionals.

The Local Government Association of the Northern Territory will undertake this project in partnership with Telstra Country Wide, Convergence e-business solutions and the Thamarrurr Regional Council.

South Australia

High Speed Broadband Fibre Infrastructure and Services for Port Lincoln

This project will focus on providing fibre and wireless deployment in Port Lincoln combined with wireless backhaul to Port Augusta.

High speed broadband access will support significant research activity being undertaken in the region and provide improved health and education services for residents of the community.

Several South Australian Government Departments, led by the Department of Administrative and Information Services and including the Department of Further Education, Employment, Science and Technology, the Department of Education and Children's Services, the Department of Health and the Department of Primary Industries and Resources have partnered with ETSA Telecommunications for this project.

Victoria

Virtual Remote Mammography

This project will provide EvDO (Evolution Data Only) services in 15 Victorian towns: Wangaratta, Seymour, Wodonga, Shepparton, Echuca, Kerang, Swan Hill, Kyneton, Bendigo, Robinvale, Birchip, Ballarat, Wycheproof, Warracknabeal and Hamilton.

This wireless mobile technology has the potential to be applied to a wide range of health and education related services for communities across the region.

BreastScreen Victoria will undertake this project in partnership with Telstra Country Wide and the Victorian Regional Health Alliance. The project will enable BreastScreen Victoria to link their mobile screening service to the Victorian Regional Health Alliance network, allowing the transfers of digital files to their assessment centres and client information management system.

New South Wales

The Hunter IN-REACH Project

The project involves deploying a fibre ring in eastern Newcastle linking various education, health and local government facilities and a fibre backbone from Newcastle linking hospitals and TAFEs in the Lower Hunter towns of Maitland, Kurri Kurri and Cessnock.

Broadband will provide health professionals in the region with increased access to centralised medical records and applications, high speed access for researchers collaborating in a virtual environment and a platform for distance education and improved delivery of government services.

The University of Newcastle will lead this project. Project partners include the Hunter New England Health Service, Energy Australia, Newcastle City Council, NSW DET - Hunter Institute, CSIRO, Hunter Economic Development Corporation, NSW Office of Information and Communication Technology, Hunter Councils, Hunter Water Corporation, The Maltby Group and Hunter Medical Research Institute.

Vocational Educational Training for remote and rural NSW communities, focussing on Indigenous communities

This project will provide a satellite network extension for an existing Interactive Distance Learning solution to 200 isolated homes, 211 remote schools and 15 rural Indigenous communities including Menindee, Ivanhoe, Peak Hill, Walgett and Collarenebri. A core hub will be established at NSW TAFE in Tamworth with a remote lesson delivery point at Dubbo.

Rural and remote communities in NSW will benefit from enhanced access to Vocational Education and Training programs via a network of program delivery points.

This project will be undertaken by Optus in partnership with NSW TAFE and the NSW Rural Women's Network (NSW Department of Primary Industries).