Chapter 1
Report
1.1
The purpose of this report is to enable the evidence received by the
committee to be tabled by the last sitting day of the 44th
Parliament.
1.2
On 14 November 2013, the Senate established the Select Committee on the
National Broadband Network to inquire into and report on the government's
reviews of the National Broadband Network (NBN) and the governance of nbn
(formerly NBN Co) with interim reports as the committee sees fit and a final
report on or before 10 June 2014. On 14 May 2014, the Senate agreed to extend
the date for the presentation of the committee's final report to the last
sitting day of the 44th Parliament.[1]
1.3
The committee's terms of reference identify the following areas of
inquiry:
-
the establishment of the government's strategic review of the NBN
including:
-
the adequacy of the terms of reference,
-
the selection of personnel and expert advisers to the review,
-
the data provided to the strategic review, in particular, any
variation between that data and data used by NBN Co in preparing its annual
report and corporate plan, and
-
the impact of the strategic review on the operational
effectiveness of NBN Co;
-
the outcome of the strategic review of the NBN, including:
-
the extent to which the review fulfilled its terms of reference,
-
the reliability of assumptions made in the review, including,
inter alia, the cost of alternative network equipment, the revenues of NBN Co
under alternative scenarios, construction requirements and access to Telstra's
copper network,
-
the implications of any alternatives considered for the long-term
structure of the industry, in particular, the structural separation of access
networks from retail operations, and
-
any other matters arising from the strategic review;
-
the establishment and findings of the government's cost benefit
analysis;
-
the conduct and findings of the government survey of the
availability of broadband in Australia; and
-
any related matter.[2]
1.4
The committee held eight public hearings between November 2013 and March
2014 and tabled its first interim report on 26 March 2014. The committee held
eight public hearings after the tabling of the first interim report and tabled
its second interim report on 19 March 2015. The committee held a further four
public hearings following the tabling of the second interim report. The twenty
hearings held to date have taken place in Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne, Hobart,
Perth and Terrigal (NSW).
1.5
The committee received 102 submissions and supplementary submissions
which are listed at Appendix 1, and a significant number of answers to
questions on notice, additional information and correspondence which are listed
at Appendix 2.
1.6
The committee thanks all those who assisted with its inquiry including
those who have made submissions and given evidence at hearings.
Senator Jan McLucas
Chair
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