Nbn adds 16,500 Albany homes to broadband roll-out plan

More than 16,000 Albany homes have been added to the National Broadband Network’s latest three-year construction plan, with work on the fixed-line service in the area expected to begin in the first half of 2017.

Nbn released details of its new roll-out plan last week, which identified Albany and surrounding suburbs such as Bayonet Head, Emu Point, Little Grove, Torndirrup and Warrenup as areas next in line for the internet technology.

According to nbn, work is expected to be under way or completed by the end of September 2018.

Federal Member for O’Connor Rick Wilson said the announcement was great news for Albany, particularly for those who lived on the outskirts of the city.

“I know a lot of people have been eagerly awaiting an announcement of what’s going to happen in Albany, so now we’ve got some certainty, ” he said.

Mr Wilson said while some residents might be disappointed Albany was not higher up the construction timetable, the Federal Government had a heavy focus on connecting smaller regional towns first.

As of May, residents in Cranbrook, Williams, areas surrounding Narrogin, Kojonup and Cranbrook have had access to the fixed wireless network.

Last month, Albany City Council was forced to reconsider a planning application by nbn to construct a telecommunications tower in Robinson after mediation in the State Administrative Tribunal, but the council decided to refuse the application a second time after a backlash from local residents, who said the tower would affect the area’s visual amenity.

The council made the decision on the grounds the tower was not in the community interest and that nbn had not provided enough information.

At the time, nbn said the decision to refuse the tower meant a delay in the roll-out of services was “inevitable”, but Mr Wilson said he hoped the two parties could come to an amicable agreement.

“If they don’t want a tower in their area, then that’s their call, ” he said.

“But that tower was one of the critical ones because it was one that was to feed back to the optic fibre cable, so that’s going to slow down the roll-out of the fixed wireless network around the outskirts of Albany, ” he said.

“So I’m hoping between the City of Albany and nbn they can work together to find a more suitable spot and get the fixed wireless services working as soon as possible.”