Australia's National Local Government Newspaper Online

Commitment needed from all spheres to bury the cables issue

A national report on how to cost effectively underground aerial telecommunications and electricity cabling was recently tabled in Federal Parliament. The report meets a legislative requirement now contained in the Telecommunications Act 1997. This requirement resulted from widespread community concern as duplicated aerial pay television cabling was rolled out in many municipalities during 1996 and 1997.

Victoria's Banyule City Council and South Australia's Unley City Council are among the many Councils that, together with their communities, were greatly concerned about the lack of consultation with people living in areas where the roll out was occurring.

"This cabling, permitted by the Federal Government and encouraged by its competition policy, added further to the already ugly blight caused by electricity poles and wires in most urban and regional suburbs," said Doug Owens, Chief Executive Officer at Banyule Council.

"Both the telecommunications and electricity markets have been focusing on short term reductions in costs and maximising of profit, without full consideration of the longer term financial, social and environmental implications."

He believes that the achievement of national undergrounding over the coming decades will require a determined commitment in policy and financial terms by all spheres of government, but particularly the State and Federal Governments.

"The report demonstrates that a large scale undergrounding program is achievable and moreover affordable if a balanced view is taken of the benefits, both tangible and intangible," Doug Owens said.

However, he is critical of the quoted aggregate national figure of $24 billion asserting that capacity for cost savings of between 20% and 30% exist which would significantly lower costs to ratepayers. This then compares much more favourably with the expected $19 billion expenditure that Australian television viewers will have to pay to convert to digital television over the next 10 years.

Local Government is concerned that the Federal Government, after giving Telstra and Optus carte blanche rights to override community concerns, is not identified in the report as a financial contributor to any undergrounding program.

The report, by the working group on Putting Cables Underground, took 15 months to complete and cost $1.25 million, generously provided by Telstra and Optus. Its 44 recommendations are supported by extensive documentation.

Doug Owens encourages Councils to read the report and consider its implications. He believes any widespread undergrounding clearly requires the support of State Governments. In this regard, only Western Australia has displayed any commitment on the matter.

Copies of the report are available from Maria Mandic, Department of Communications Information Technology and The Arts, GPO Box 2154, Canberra ACT 2601 or access it on the Internet at www.dcita.gov.au/cables/

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