Eighteen months after his last visit to Birdsville, Malcolm Turnbull is back in the remote town today (Wednesday) this time as prime minister.
The last time he was there was a couple of weeks before his ascension to the top job when he was communications minister and he is back to check out the progress of the telecommunications fibre link being installed in the Channel Country.
“The good news is that with support from Barcoo and Diamantina Shire Councils, and the Queensland and federal governments we’re seeing a Telstra fibre link between Windorah, Birdsville, Bedourie, Jundah and Stonehenge,” Mr Turnbull told ABC Western Queensland this morning.
“This is a great example of our Stronger Regions policy, seeing improved mobile telecommunications in those centres, it’s about 43 percent complete now, well on the way to being a reality.”
Mr Turnbull said the new Skymuster satellite from the NBN would also be a gamechanger.
“There are about 2500 new installations onto the satellite every week and about 1500 are on the old interim satellite and another 1000 are newly connected,” he said.
“It delivers 25 megabytes per second down and five megabytes per second up.”
Mr Turnbull is on a visit with Minister for Regional Communications Fiona Nash, Queensland senator James McGrath and new Maranoa MP David Littleproud and they will spend the night in Winton after visiting Birdsville.
“We should be celebrating the rebuilding of the Waltzing Matilda Centre (in Winton) – It is the ultimate iconic national Australian song,” the PM said.
“We’re committing $8 million which is the bulk of the funding to rebuild that centre – it is a great magnet for outback tourism and Queensland and a great celebration of one of the most cheerfully Australian songs you could ever imagine.”
The old Waltzing Matilda visitors centre was destroyed by fire in June 2015.
Derek Barry
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
Editor of the North West Star Mount Isa since January 2016. Prior to that, an editor at several regional southern Queensland newspapers. Passionate about telling local stories. Comes with a strange accent to due an Irish accident of birth.
