BARRY Johnston, a previous sceptic of the need for the National Broadband Network, is now publicly backing the move to bring the high-speed internet connection to Inverell.

Following a forum in Armidale on Friday, which showed how the system would work by providing a live link from California in the USA to Armidale, the mayor said he would preach the message about his conversion to the NBN at today’s council meeting.

The fibre network is currently being rolled out in parts of Armidale and Cr Johnston said if Inverell is to trump Tamworth and be the next location in the area for the rollout it would need the council’s support.

At Friday’s forum in Armidale, attended by the Minister for Regional Australia, Regional Development and Local Government, the Hon. Simon Crean, and representatives from surrounding councils, regional development was discussed in the morning followed by a discussion on the NBN in the afternoon.

“From a sceptic’s point of view it was extremely interesting,” Cr Johnston said yesterday.

“Technology is the next generation down from me. For my generation technology was learning how motor cars go.”

But now he is announcing the sky is the limit for the new technology to help industries and services based in the country.

The video Cr Johnston and others watched at the Armidale forum showed a medical procedure performed on a dummy live from California.

This highlighted how the technology could be used to assist regional hospitals.

“It was just quite amazing. It was like being in the same room.”

Cr David Jones was also at the Armidale forum but unlike the mayor has been a long time supporter of rolling out the NBN.

He said the current service is like patchwork with some parts of Inverell not able to access any broadband service.

Cr Johnston said he will extol the benefits of the being part of the network to his fellow councillors and plans for the council to start lobbying Canberra to be the next town after Armidale in the New England to get the high-speed optic fibre network.

“I support Inverell getting the next rollout. If we get in early people will take it up.

“If we’re gonna make the place grow, we’ve got to make it go,” he said.

But the mayor warned it would not be easy to get the local area to the top of the broadband list.

“We’ll have to lobby pretty hard to beat Tamworth,” he said.

© 2011 Inverell Times

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