Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy Senator Stephen Conroy today said residents and businesses in Western Sydney could not afford to miss out on the National Broadband Network (NBN).

Senator Conroy joined Labor Candidate for Greenway Michelle Rowland in Riverstone to discuss how the NBN would drive the local economy for generations to come.

The Gillard Labor Government has released network maps showing that under the NBN, all Australians will get access to affordable, high speed broadband, no matter where they live.

“The maps reveal that residents and businesses across Western Sydney will receive fibre optic cabling, delivering speeds up to 100mps,” Senator Conroy said.

“This infrastructure will literally transform the way people live and work in this region, and Riverstone residents will be among the first to benefit, with work to begin on its rollout next year.

“The NBN will ensure that every child in this region can have access to world-class education resources.

“In the future it will allow access to enhanced health care delivery; and it will give local businesses the opportunity to expand and reach new markets anywhere in the world.”

Ms Rowland said people in Western Sydney had put up with expensive, patchy broadband services for years, but the NBN would put an end to that once and for all.

“This region has been a broadband backwater,” Ms Rowland said.

“Residents and businesses have not had adequate broadband and telecommunications services due to a lack of competitive infrastructure.

"In order for our region to continue to grow and prosper, we need the infrastructure to match.

“An affordable, high speed broadband network is the highway and railroad system of the 21st century and here in our region, we simply cannot afford not to have it.

“Tony Abbott has made clear he will shut down the NBN if he becomes Prime Minister and he needs to explain to local residents why they don’t deserve to have access to this essential infrastructure.

“Under a Gillard Labor Government, every home, business, school and hospital will have access to world-class broadband.

“Local residents have a clear choice at this election; to support the Gillard Government and get access to the NBN, or vote for Tony Abbott and miss out.”

The rollout of the NBN is progressing well with the first customers already online in Tasmania. Twenty-four communities on the mainland have been ear-marked as the next areas for the rollout, including Riverstone, and regional backbone links are also being laid.