Not one single business between Parramatta and Bathurst will have access to super-fast broadband in the rollout of new NBN business zones, scheduled to bypass the entire Western Sydney region, Federal Member for Macquarie Susan Templeman has said.

The rollout of the first 130 NBN Business Fibre Zones, which provide businesses with access to broadband speeds of up to 1GB, has been announced, with Sydney metropolitan, inner west, and NSW regional areas set to benefit.

“But not one town west of Parramatta or east of Bathurst has been included in this rollout,” Ms Templeman, who is also Deputy Chair of the Joint Standing Committee on the National Broadband Network, said.

Western Sydney University’s Centre for Western Sydney estimates the Gross Regional Product (GRP) of the region – including Parramatta - at $137.48 billion, which is nearly one-quarter of the NSW Gross State Product*.

“There are more than 2.5 million people living in that area, more than 1 million jobs, and more than 218,000 local businesses,” Ms Templeman said.

“That means most of the area that the Australian Government designated as the Western Parkland City – where it wants to create 200,000 jobs – is completely left out of the first rollout of this infrastructure.

“The Covid pandemic has shown us how important the internet is to do business, to learn and to stay connected with each other. What is the reasoning behind leaving an area that’s home and work to so many out of the initial rollout of this new technology?

“It’s a double whammie for businesses who have this week also seen the Morrison Government finally admit its over-budget, old-technology National Broadband Network really was the dud we always thought it was.

“While it’s a vindication of Labor’s longstanding position against the Liberals’ multi-technology mix, they have wasted seven years and spent $51 billion out of the public purse. Now, they’re overbuilding the existing copper network with fibre – duplicating time and cost.

“Meanwhile, parts of the Blue Mountains and Hawkesbury will still be relying on a mish-mash of fibre, wireless and satellite technologies – sometimes in the same suburb.

“And businesses that want access to increased speeds will have to pay for it under the Morrison Government’s backflip. So they are paying twice for something that should have been provided years ago.

“This is yet another example of the Liberals treating Western Sydney with contempt; just look at the deal we’re getting with Western Sydney Airport.

“The Liberal Government paid 10 times the value of a parcel of land at Badgerys Creek with taxpayers funds to one of their donors. The airport