Business Case

Mildura itself remains the largest regional centre in Victoria without any announced NBN rollout.

Yet because of its isolation in a tri state area 550km from Melbourne, 400km from Adelaide and 1,080km from Sydney, the Mildura-Wentworth region is a nationally significant hub for agriculture, transport, industry, health, education and retail. For example, the region services outlying communities such as Broken Hill, Swan Hill and the Riverland in South Australia.

The region’s economy is worth $2.9 billion, with a large-scale agricultural and horticultural industry, and other industries including food, wine and beverage manufacturing, renewable energy and mining.

Our economy and community are at a significant disadvantage to the rest of Victoria and New South Wales, as large areas of our region can only access unreliable, expensive, and slow broadband. This lack of broadband

infrastructure investment impacts greatly on our region’s ability to deliver services such as online learning, medical and specialist services, commerce, exports, finance, professional services and tele-work.

Very fast broadband will enhance regional industry and export competitiveness, improve productivity, grow community connectedness, attract investment, ensure business retention and growth, develop new industries, and foster innovation.

The NBN4 Mildura-Wentworth Committee seeks a commitment to urgently rollout very fast broadband in the Mildura-Wentworth region.

The Mildura-Wentworth region is an innovative and prosperous community that is a leader in the uptake of new technologies, particularly given our geographical isolation.

The region has almost 60,000 people and makes up 5% of the land mass of New South Wales and Victoria (48,330km2). The population is projected to grow by over 9,000 people by 2031.

Mildura Airport is the busiest regional airport in Victoria with 202,179 passengers per year and 138 flights per week, with QantasLink, Regional Express and Virgin Australia running flights between Mildura and Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide and Broken Hill.

Known for its agricultural and horticultural industries and export capacity, the area produces the following percentage of Australia’s overall produce:•98%ofdriedgrapes•75%oftablegrapes•66%ofalmonds•48%ofpistachios•24%ofcitrus•20%ofAustralia’swinegrapecrush•13%ofcarrots•10%ofmelons•9%ofasparagus

Other significant industries include food, wine and beverage manufacturing, grain production and renewable energy development, with the region providing the best solar resources in Victoria. Tourism also generates $260 million in expenditure each year.

The region has access to a large labour force of 32,784 people, primarily employed in retail (13%), agriculture (12%), health care and social assistance (12%), and education and training (8%).

Education in the Mildura-Wentworth region

The Mildura-Wentworth region delivers extensive education services across a large isolated regional area, including:•LaTrobeUniversityMilduraCampus•SunraysiaInstituteofTAFE•TAFENSWRiverinaInstitute•MonashRegionalClinicalMedicalSchool•Over45schools

Very fast reliable broadband is needed so that education providers, libraries, teachers and students can access

Why invest in the NBN in the Mildura-Wentworth region?

both local and distance education providers, and have access to the same opportunities as their urban counterparts.

Healthcare in the Mildura-Wentworth region

The Mildura-Wentworth region is also a hub for health services, with the only specialist services within a 200km radius. High levels of social disadvantage are putting pressure on the healthcare system and preventative health programs.

Forexample,townssuchasDaretonhaveanIndigenouspopulation of nearly 36% and house a large number of Government agencies, as well as health, emergency, police and specialist indigenous and family services. Very fast broadband would therefore have a large impact upon the service provision in this area.

A lack of investment in very fast broadband will hamper business and industry growth in the Mildura-Wentworth region and our connectivity to other regions, capital cities and countries (particularly given our isolation).

Delayed investment will also result in further negative social and economic outcomes for the Mallee region’s residents, with up to 40% already being without any internet access (over 19,000 households). This is the highest percentage in Victoria and more than double the rate in Melbourne.

Inrealterms,theMilduraDevelopmentCorporation’s2013 State of the Economy survey of businesses identified that 28% of respondents had either fair or poor internet service, with respondents identifying bringing the NBN to the region as one of the main initiatives to grow regional development in the region, with business growth currently impeded. Between the 2006 and 2011censuses,theITindustrywasoneofonlytwoindustry sectors to see a decline in the region, with businesses moving to areas with very fast broadband.

Development and opportunities in the Mildura-Wentworth region

The region has seen a number of recent developments which would greatly benefit from very fast broadband, including the:•$120millionDocksideMilduraproject•$6.4millionMilduraAirportredevelopment•$8.7millionArtsCentreredevelopment•$18.3millionriverfrontredevelopment•$60millionOlamalmondprocessingfacility•$10millionSolarSystems1.5MWsolarpowerpilot

demonstration facility•$174millionBalfourBeatty35MWbiomasspower

station, to be completed by mid-2016.•TertiaryStructuralAdjustmentFunde-learningproject

- Sunraysia Tertiary Education Precinct (STEP).•LamattinaBeveragescarrotprocessingfacility

relocation and expansion at Thurla.

Without adequate broadband access, our industry, exports, community, education and healthcare all suffer. Our ability to increase productivity, competitiveness, community connectedness and to attract professionals (such as doctors and engineers) to the region is restricted. As a result, our economy and people are at a significant disadvantage.Investmentintelecommunications infrastructure in the same time frame as other large regional centres is required to reverse this trend.

Unexploited Broadband Opportunities

A number of broadband services are in strong demand but can’t be provided at all, or deployed effectively, due to a lack of investment in broadband infrastructure. For example, these services include access to digital resources for fixed and mobile users to assist in the delivery of 24/7 self service for service providers and Government departments, as well as the provision of public internet services outside commercial areas, such as cafés and libraries.

The implications of delaying investment in the NBN

Existing infrastructure and strategies to support the rollout of NBN

Organisation

Regional Development Australia

NBN4 Mildura-Wentworth Committee

Mildura Rural City Council

Wentworth Shire Council

Mildura Development Corporation

Mildura Tourism

Strategy

Loddon Mallee Regional Strategic Plan – Northern Region

2012 Mildura-Wentworth Digital Community Strategy

Council Plan 2013-2017

Information Systems Strategy 2013-2017

The Wentworth Region Community Strategic Plan 2013-2017

Mildura Development Corporation 2013-2016 Strategic Plan

Mildura Tourism 2010-2014 Strategic Plan

Mildura-Wentworth regional strategies

Outside of the central Mildura township the community relies on internet services with varying speeds and reliability, including ADSL, 3G mobile data and legacy satellite services.

The introduction of the NBN has unfortunately resulted in a delayed rollout of broadband in the Mildura-Wentworth region, with legislation introduced with the NBN limiting the extension of existing broadband infrastructure (such as iiNet’s local HFC network) by more than 1km.

While the HFC network is fast, it is limited in terms futurespeedswhencomparedwithopticfibre.Investment in the NBN in the central area of Mildura could proceed either by a purchase of the existing HFC network infrastructure or by NBN Co constructing a separate optic fibre network.

While iiNet and Telstra are the largest operators, Optus and Vodafone also provide coverage in the region.

Telstra Network

Bigpond Broadband ADSL 2+

Bigpond Broadband ADSL

4G

Next G

Speed

Up to 20Mbps (in selected areas)

and up to 8Mbps / 384Kbps in

many other areas.

Between 2Mbps and 40Mbps

in 4G coverage areas.

Coverage

Dareton, Gol Gol, Merbein, Merbein South, Mildura and

Red Cliffs.

Curlwaa, Gol Gol, Irymple, Koorlong, Merbein, Mildura, Murrayville,

Nangiloc, Ouyen, Underbool, Wentworth and Walpeup.

Mildura CBD, Trentham Cliffs, Nicholas Point, Mourquong and

Boeill Creek.

Carwarp, Cowangie, Cullulleraine, Hattah, Irymple, Karadoc,

Merbein, Mildura, Mildura Central, Mildura South, Nangiloc,

Ouyen, Red Cliffs, Underbool, Wentworth, Walpeup, Kulwin

and Yelta.

Existing Broadband Infrastructure

NBN: Regional Backbone Blackspots ProgramThe Broken Hill route of the Regional Backbone Blackspots Program has five backbone access points located in the region, at Merbein, Mildura, South Mildura, Red Cliffs and Morcalla North.

TelstraTelstra provides exchanges with BigPond Broadband ADSL, ADSL 2+ and both Next G and 4G (limited coverage areas) Mobile Coverage in the Mildura-Wentworth region.(see network details in table below)

Actual mobile voice and mobile data coverage is significantly less with speeds often too slow to use or not available at all. The reality of our poor coverage was demonstrated in the region’s response to the Department of Communications’ Mobile Coverage Programme Discussion paper, as submitted in February 2014 by the Member for Mallee, Andrew Broad MP.

iiNetHaving acquired TransACT, iiNet has an office in Mildura and operates a hybrid fibre coaxial (HFC) network. Access is limited primarily to the central area of Mildura, with the fast broadband network passing approximately 8000 properties.

In2011theNBN4Mildura-WentworthCommittee was formed, made up of representatives from local government, economic development, utility providers, the healthandeducationsectors,ITprofessionals,tourismand local businesses. The Committee has been lobbying for the early rollout of very fast broadband in our region, as well as educating the community and industry about the benefits of going online.

In2012,MilduraRuralCityCouncilandWentworthShire Council adopted the Mildura Wentworth Digital Community Strategy. This Strategy focuses on our need for very fast

broadband.Itidentifiesstrategiestoprepareandeducate the community for very fast broadband rollout and encourages the community to maximise their use of existing telecommunications infrastructure.

Our community is very supportive of a very fast broadband rollout across the region, with both the Mildura and Wentworth Councils forming internal working groups to work with NBN Co, the community and utility providers to ensure a smooth rollout of infrastructure across the municipalities.

We are ready and our community supports the rollout of NBN

Jenny GriggChair | NBN4 Mildura-WentworthPO Box 4146, Mildura VIC 3502Telephone: 03 5022 3954Email: jgrigg@sunitafe.edu.au

2014

For further information click on the ‘NBN’ link at:

www.milduraregion.com.au