[LINK] NBN rolling out in Gungahlin - Kate's report Re: Any linkers at Gunghalin NBN meeting?

[Darrell Burkey]

On Fri, 2011-06-17 at 14:13, Bernard Robertson-Dunn wrote:
> I was under the impression that it was the new suburbs that would get 
> connected first and that the older ones, which will need to have 
> existing roads and gardens disturbed, were to happen later.

Not from what I've seen. It looks much more like the squeaky wheel
effect to me. 

However, residents of this particular suburb have been jerked around for
so long on so many issues that they really had no choice but to band
together and form a strong lobby group. It's nice to see citizen
engagement on this scale and the Gungahlin Community Council seems to do
great work but wouldn't it be great if the suburb could just get
appropriate level of services without so many resources being put in to
fighting those who are responsible for providing them in the first
place? 

As mentioned earlier the broadband issue in Gungahlin has been going on
since the 1990's. First it was UC and ACT Gov running fibre to every
house and creating the 'suburb of the future' which remained dark for a
decade or two. Then it was TransACT creating the suburb of the future.
Then is was TransACT at odds with Telstra to create the suburb of the
future. Then it was the Gov fighting Telstra to create the suburb of the
future. Now it's the NBN and 'deals' with TransACT and Telstra to create
the suburb of the future.

By now, we have probably paid ten times what it would cost to put the
services in just dealing with all this. 

And this is just broadband. Ask anyone in Gungahlin about roads and
public transport if you really want to start a never ending
conversation.

Cheers from the jaded side of the couch. 

-- 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Darrell Burkey
UNIX Systems Administrator
College of Asia & the Pacific
Australian National University
Ph: (02) 6125 4160