By JOHN VAN KLAVEREN
STUDENTS in Corio face discrimination under the National Broadband Network (NBN) rollout, federal MP Richard Marles claimed in parliament this week.
Mr Marles said Corio was the forgotten area in the rollout.
He slammed the “fraudband” rollout as slower than initially scheduled by the previous government.
“It seems that the children on the outskirts of Geelong have been completely forgotten by the Abbott government,” he said.
“Geelong students are operating on an internet speed that’s two steps up from the old telephone network.
“Not only is the NBN not happening for Geelong now but this does not even seem to be an issue big enough to warrant any immediate future government planning.
“Geelong is not listed in the government’s 18-month rollout plan. If there’s a queue for the government’s NBN, Geelong is not in it.”
Mr Marles said NBN had started work on the fibre network in Geelong under the former Labor government.
“Work was scheduled to deliver fibre to about 44,000 schools, homes and businesses in Geelong and surrounds,” he said.
“This work was scheduled to be completed by late 2015. But the coalition cancelled this rollout.
“Despite promising to honour all contracts prior to the election, Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull have cancelled the fibre rollout to Geelong.”
Mr Marles said students at Geelong Baptist College and a new grade five campus at Kardinia International College in Lovely Banks were missing out on vital internet-based education.
He said Geelong Baptist College principal Neil Wetmore had described the situation as “exclusive, limiting and unfair”.
Teachers often had to change lesson plans because of slow and unreliable internet connections, Mr Marles said.
“IT students at Geelong Baptist College are being seriously disadvantaged because internet programs often drop out and students have to wait five to 10 minutes for their page to connect again.”
Mr Marles said the Government promised to address underserviced areas first but that was “certainly not happening on the outskirts of Geelong”.
