A new committee to undertake the 2011-12 Regional  Telecommunications Review that will examine telecommunications services in  regional, rural and remote parts of Australia has been appointed, chaired by Rosemary Sinclair, Director, External Relations, at the Australian School of  Business at the University of New South Wales.

 

The six-member committee also includes:

  • Warren McLachlan, is a beef cattle producer based in Monto, Queensland;
  • Robin  Eckermann, principal of Robin Eckermann & Associates  Telecommunications Consultants and an Adjunct Professor at the University of  Canberra
  • Heron Loban, a Law Lecturer at James Cook University and Chair of the Indigenous Consumer Assistance Network;
  • the Hon Kim Chance, Chairman of the Australian Landcare Council and former Western Australian Minister for Agriculture and Food,  Minister for Forestry, Minister for Fisheries from 2001-2005 and the lead Minister for  Natural Resource Management; and
  • Alun Davies, head of the National Broadband  Network Workgroup New England and formerly Infrastructure Manager of Telstra Country Wide in the New England area. 

The committee has been tasked to report on the adequacy of  telecommunications services in regional, rural and remote parts of Australia,  as well as the opportunities that the National Broadband Network creates in  improving the delivery of health and education outcomes, growth in local  economies, business efficiencies, and government services and programs.

 

The previous committee, chaired by Dr Bill Glasson, made recommendations  that led to the creation of the  Digital Regions Initiative, which is now funding innovative  projects that are using broadband applications to improve education, health and  emergency services in regional communities.

 

The government’s response included funding for an enhanced Satellite  Phone Subsidy Scheme, benefitting Australians living and working in areas  without terrestrial mobile coverage, and an Indigenous Communications Program  which is delivering improved telecommunications, public internet access and  training to remote Indigenous communities.

 

The 2011 – 2012 Regional Telecommunications Review committee will be  taking submissions from industry groups and individuals shortly and report back  to government by 5 March 2012.

 

More information is here.