29 July 2015 Shadow Assistant Minister for Communications, Michelle Rowland will today join Federal Member for Newcastle, Sharon Claydon at a public meeting in Stockton to discuss the concerns residents have about being left with a second-rate version of the National Broadband Network (NBN).Malcolm Turnbull and Tony Abbott are creating a digital divide across Newcastle. While a select group of residents in Mayfield will receive Labors super-fast NBN that uses fibre-optic cable, across the river in Stockton and in other parts of Newcastle, residents will be stuck with a second-rate version of the NBN that relies on the old copper network. To make matters worse, Malcolm Turnbull promised that areas with the poorest existing services like Stockton would be the first to get the NBN, but we now know that the build in Stockton wont commence for at least another 12 months. Super-fast broadband is essential to harness the economic potential of Newcastles budding entrepreneurs and businesses and that is why under Labor the entire electorate of Newcastle, including Stockton, was on the map for connection by 2016. But when the Abbott Liberal Government was elected, the entire region was wiped off the rollout map and only now thanks to strong community advocacy have areas of great need like Stockton, Thornton and others been re-added to the plans. Malcolm Turnbull should start treating all Novocastrians with some respect, abandon his second-rate network and get back to building the real NBN - starting in Stockton. WEDNESDAY, 29 JULY 2015 Stockton Community NBN and Broadband Forum When: Wednesday, 29 July 2015 Where: Stockton Bowling Club, 122 Mitchell Street, Stockton Time: 2:00pm 3:30pm