Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee, , 3:07:40 to 3:15:50
Progress on community Wi-Fi programs for remote First Nations communities and the refresh of Closing the Gap digital inclusion targets.
Topics: First Nations, Infrastructure
Speakers: Mr Sam Grunhard, Ms Naa Opoku, Unknown Speaker, Senator The Hon Carol Brown, Mr David Mackay, Senator Varun Ghosh
I'm going to move the call to Senator Brown. Thanks, Chair. I have some questions on the digital inclusion for First Nations.
Thank you. Senator, so you're particularly talking about the contestable community Wi-Fi solutions that are rolling out to First Nations communities. Senator, thank you. So that program, the outcomes of that programme were announced on 12th of November 2025. And that is benefiting 53 communities following the conclusion of grant negotiations. I might just throw to my colleague Ms. Brooklyn to talk you through the. Yes.
Senator Nalpok, I assist Secretary Inclusion News and Media Diversity Branch. In terms of the rule out of the community Wi-Fi programme, we've got in the Northern Territory, Western Australia, South Australia, Queensland and Tasmania. On February 2026, and the Minister knows the first 13 communities in Western Australia, South Australia, and Tasmania to be connected under the programme. How many do you know how many that was? How many of those 53 communities? So 13 communities in Western Australia, South Australia and Tasmania. And then in on the 8th of April 2026. Minister announced 37 communities in Northern Territory. So how many of those communities are now online? Which are have been implemented. So six communities have been connected to deeds? In South Australia. Okay. So when do you expect the majority of those communities to be connected? What time period do you have?
Senator, I will say so negotiations for these grant agreements went well and the grantees are now rolling them out. We can take on notice for you the predicted dates for but the funding is profiled to go out to 30 June 2027. Right. So at present we'd expect them all to be connected by then, but it may be that many will be connected sooner, and we might give you some more information on notice about the timing.
But also if you could provide to save me having to look for it myself, the names of the 53 communities, that would be good to be able to do that.
Just to clarify the point about the timing, Senator, the funding profile, as Mr. Grant had said, indicates all those projects would be completed by 30 June end of the financial year. But they are supported then by an operational period of five years from when the service commences. So that 30 June 2027 is about the installation, if you like, but there's then an operational period that follows.
That's right, by the funding agreement. So that they'll be funded to operate for five years after they go live.
Yep, sir. So you did say that there were six already implemented.
That's right.
So are you able to give me any information on the impact it's having in the community?
Senator, I don't have case studies in front of me, but but we know we do know that these have been welcomed in the communities. Sometimes in a central location, but sometimes uh sort of in a mesh network across a number of locations. So of course that have impact on people's ability to participate in employment in social inclusion to access government services and so on. But we can when we give you that information on notice, we can give you a bit more detail about some of those information. We do, and also, of course, through the first First Nations Digital Inclusion Advisory Group, which is you know keenly interested in monitoring how these projects are going and and of course we discuss with them what what they're hearing about how the projects are rolling out.
What's it doing to inform the refresh?
Sure, Senator, thank you. So I might just start on the advisory group itself, um, and then we can give you a bit of information about the target seven refresh. So the advisory group is continues to be very active. We had our most rec recent meeting with them in September.
Um you just give me uh remind me about who makes up the advisory group.
Senator, I think I do have that information here. Um so the the chairs are of course uh Dot West and Dr. Lyndon Orman Parker. Um I'm not sure if we have the full we do have the full list of members here, I think, Sidney, which we can um provide to you.
Okay, thank you. So do you want just to give me an update then on on what's happening with the target 17?
No problem, Senator. So on target 17, um the refresh of that target um has just commenced. There is there is a deal of work to do to consider uh what the replacement target uh needs to be if if they're doing changes timeline about So we're subject to the broader um closing uh the gap agreement timelines here, Senator. So that work has commenced. I think it's expected to be completed next year through the consultation process that will be required, including co-design with community. Yes, yes, Senator. I'll clarify the exact date for you, Senator.
If you could do so, that'll be great.
Is there anything else you can tell? I was just gonna say that the target refresh and group has been formed formed and we're going through terms of reference?
Right.
For it to start the first meeting is due in November this year.
Well, if there is any other information you can provide um for me, I would appreciate I would appreciate that.
No problem, Senator.