The federal government is funding an NBN upgrade to a single business in Deputy PM Barnaby Joyce’s electorate.

A planned fibre connection to a business in The Nationals leader’s New England electorate could cost over $600,000, which is almost double the original estimate, reports say. 

The new connection for ASX-listed Costa Group’s tomato plant in Guyra appears to be the only fibre-to-the-premises conversion as part of the NBN’s $100 million regional connectivity  grants program.

In 2020, Mr Joyce reportedly wrote a letter arguing that the upgrade was “urgently needed to address the continued increases in bandwidth required at Costa’s Guyra facilities for the many software and online systems utilised to support the company’s high-tech practices and equipment used to achieve greater yield efficiencies”.

Mr Joyce’s register of interests discloses that his partner, Vikki Campion, has shares in Costa Group, but does not indicate how many she holds.

There is no suggestion of impropriety by Mr Joyce or Ms Campion.