Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee, , 3:27:52 to 3:30:18
The committee receives updates on the status of temporary disaster roaming and questions the department regarding Australia Post's grounded Taiwanese e-trikes.
Topics: Infrastructure, Procurement
Speakers: Senator The Hon Sarah Henderson, Mr David Mackay, Speaker 25, Unknown Speaker, Ms Lisa La Rance
Can you give me a quick update, Mr. Mackay, on the roll-out of temporary disaster role, um, temporary disaster roaming? Um we uh have been informed that that is up and running as of the 1st of October. Has that been activated in any part of Australia?
Not to date, Senator No.
Not to date. Is that ready in every respect?
Uh yes, we covered a little bit of this in in uh responding to questions uh a moment ago from Senator Ananda Raja. Um but uh it's been available as in as a capability developed by the Mobile Network operators from the 1st of October and as of the 27th of October, it has not yet been activated.
I'm gonna quickly just race through a couple of other questions. Uh we have uncovered that uh Australia Post has spent some $18.2 million on a programme to acquire Taiwanese e-trikes, which have been shelved. Now, whether some of them are re-invigorated as Australia Post says we're yet to see. Uh was your department aware of the grounding of these vehicles? Did Australia Post inform you in relation to the I'll just check with my colleague?
Senator Shannon Sparaboom, Assistant Secretary, Broadband and Post Branch. I think I'd like to take that question on notice. We get a range of information from Australia Post, and I'd like to check the details and specifics of your question. To make sure that I answer it accurately.
I'm asking, are you aware whether you hold any information in relation to that particular acquisition?
So Ms. Barrowboom and I do not. We would like to check in with our teams in case there are other people in our organisation who have received it.
And just sorry, I just can't see your name tag. Thank you. Thank you. Sparaboom, are you do you are you aware of any information that has been received by Australia Post in relation to that acquisition?
I'm not. I don't have any information in front of me, Senator, I need to check.
So you're not aware of any information?
No.
That's right.