Staff writers

Prime Minister Julia Gillard has declared that the National Broadband Network (NBN) will be rolled out in the Far North Coast of New South Wales in a three year plan with the regional area of Murwillumbah to be the first of many locations to receive the fibre network.

The PM visited the Murwillumbah Community Centre to announce the rollout plan to 5000 homes and businesses in the area in the 2015-16 financial year.

She also used the occasion to announce that the federal government’s executor of the rollout NBN Co will shortly be releasing its updated maps of the NBN and invited people to the website to see their “name emblazoned there”.

Ms Gillard said the NBN connection in Murwillumbah will enable people to get access to the world, local businesses can trade with the world in the same way that businesses in Sydney’s CBD and Brisbane’s CBD can.

“This is as pivotal to the century in which we live as electricity and the copper wire telephone network was to the last century,” Ms Gillard said.

The Member of Parliament for Richmond, Justine Elliot said Murwillumbah’s connection to the NBN will make a “huge difference” to people on the north coast.

“School children, it will be remarkable for them. Right across the area it will make such a big difference for business, [and] for health services,” Ms Elliot said.

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