David Bartlett MP
Premier of Tasmania

Senator the Hon Stephen Conroy
Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy
Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate

First Board Meeting for Tasmanian NBN Company

The Board of the company to rollout and operate the National Broadband Network in Tasmania met for the first time in Hobart today.

The meeting followed the appointment of the final three directors to the board of the Tasmania NBN Company Limited (TNBN Co).

Mr Mark Kelleher, Dr Daniel Norton and Mr Sean Woellner will join the previously appointed directors Mr Doug Campbell AM, Ms Alison Terry, Mr Jody Fassina and Mr Greg McCann. Mr Campbell will be Executive Chairman of TNBN Co.

The newly appointed Board members all have strong connections to Tasmania.

Premier, David Bartlett said the first full meeting of TNBN Co represents another major milestone in making Tasmania the most connected place on the planet.

"I am very pleased with the calibre of the board of TNBN Co, who can now get on with the job of constructing a super fast fibre to the premise network that will ultimately connect 200,000 Tasmanian homes and businesses over the next five years."

"I am firmly of the view that this infrastructure will deliver significant social benefits to the Tasmanian community and lead to the development of many new generation industries and new generation jobs."

"These appointments ensure that we have a high quality board to drive forward the rollout of the National Broadband Network in Tasmania," the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy said.

“This is a project of great significance to Tasmania and for the nation as we lay the foundations for the 21st century digital economy.”

TNBN Co has been established initially as a wholly owned subsidiary of NBN Co Limited (NBN Co), the company responsible for rolling out and operating the National Broadband Network nationally. Aurora Energy and NBN Co will become joint shareholders of TNBN Co.

On 25 July 2009, the Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, Senator Conroy and the Premier of Tasmania, David Bartlett, announced the Tasmanian communities of Smithton, Scottsdale and Midway Point will be the first to receive National Broadband Network services.

Work on the rollout in Tasmania began in July 2009, new trenches will be dug from October, and fibre connections to the first premises will be made in December. The first services are expected to be available by July 2010.

Background on the three new Board appointees follows below.

Date: 21 August 2009

Contact: Vanessa Fabris (Premier Bartlett’s Office) 0419 006 572
Tim Marshall (Senator Conroy’s Office) 0408 258 457

Mark Kelleher – BACKGROUND

Mr Kelleher was recently appointed Secretary of Tasmania’s Department of Economic Development Tourism and the Arts, and Chief Executive of the Tasmanian Development Board.

Mr Kelleher is on the Board of the Clean Energy Council, and is the Chairman of TasDance, Tasmania’s highly regarded contemporary dance company.

In September 2005 Mr Kelleher became the inaugural Managing Director of Roaring 40s, a joint venture company between Hydro Tasmania and CLP Asia that invests in, develops and operates renewable energy assets in Australia, New Zealand, China and India.

Mr Kelleher was previously General Manager with Renewables Development for Hydro Tasmania. He worked for Hydro Tasmania for 12 years, and had lead roles in a series of major infrastructure projects, Basslink and entry into the National Electricity Market.

He has also held a number of key positions with Telstra in the financial and strategy areas.

Dr Daniel Norton – BACKGROUND

Dr Dan Norton of Hobart has academic qualifications in economics, business and agricultural science, and is an experienced chairman and CEO who has worked in the electricity industry, central government agencies and in international commodity marketing.

He is currently Chairman of the Tasmanian Ports Corporation, Chairman of the Menzies Research Institute and Chairman of Capital P&O Logistics Pty Ltd, as well as a director of Tasmania’s water and sewerage corporations and two private consulting companies.

He is a former Chief Executive of both Hydro Tasmania and Aurora Energy, former chairman of the National Electricity Market Management Company, and former Secretary of the Tasmanian Department of Premier and Cabinet

Mr Sean Woellner – BACKGROUND

Mr Woellner has experience in leading large geographically diverse organisations operating in markets driven by changing technology and business environments.

Mr Woellner was CEO of Tenix Alliance, a company delivering infrastructure services to major utilities in Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific, from October 2006 to December 2008.

Mr Woellner was Executive General Manager Telecommunications of Downer EDI-Downer Engineering between July 2000 and May 2006. Between 1982 and 2000 Mr Woellner also worked for Leighton Contractors, Australia’s largest publicly-listed construction and engineering company operating in Australia and South East Asia.