The government’s National Broadband Network draft legislation has gone up on the Department of Broadband, Communications and Digital Economy (DBCDE) website, but demand for the document has caused the DBCDE site to crash.
The legislation is contained in two separate bills and are available from the below links when the DBCDE site is back up.
- National Broadband Network Companies Bill 2010
- Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (National Broadband Network Measures – Access Arrangements) Bill 2010.
The draft bills are accompanied by a set of explanatory notes.
“These bills deliver on the Rudd Government’s commitment to change the competitive dynamics of the telecommunications sector by ensuring NBN Co will operate as a wholesale-only company, offering open and equivalent access,” Communications Minister Stephen Conroy said.
“Releasing these exposure drafts is a very important first step towards providing certainty on how NBN Co will operate and what its obligations will be.
“Before we introduce the bills formally we are keen to seek further feedback from key stakeholders to ensure we get the details right,” Conroy said. “We have an open mind on any amendments put forward that we believe can improve the bills.”
Anyone wishing to submit comments on the draft legislation should submit them to the DBCDE at nbnlegislation@dbcde.gov.au before 15 March 2010.