Pittwater residents left high and dry by NBN

Locals of several Pittwater suburbs have been left out in the cold by Australia’s National Broadband Network (NBN) over why their access has been delayed by a year.

Residents of suburbs including Mona Vale, Warriewood and Narrabeen have complained their planned availability dates have been pushed back numerous times without explanation, despite most other properties in the area being able to connect.

Warriewood resident Mark Shaw says when he moved to Warriewood in August 2018, he was told the NBN would be available to his house by the following month. Now it is projected to be accessible by April 2020.

“I’ve never received any follow up on the emails I sent to the NBN,” he tells Peninsula Living.

“I’m halfway down Warriewood Drive on the RSL side, and a neighbour four doors down is connected to the NBN.

“It’s just odd that it’s so sporadic across Warriewood and Mona Vale. To have neighbours that are connected is just bizarre.”

He says his service provider, Optus, was also unaware of when connection would be available.

Fellow resident Mandy Walsh, of Mona Vale, says while construction for the NBN has been going on in her street for some time, the broadband network’s website still puts her connection date at June 2020.

“I know how projects go – a month here, a month there. But to push it back a whole year, that’s quite strange. I’m not going to get my hopes up anymore,” she tells Peninsula Living.

A spokesperson from the NBN told Peninsula Living that it was “…important to remember each premises is unique, with a small number requiring additional works from an engineering perspective before they will be ready to connect.

“Therefore, it is not unusual for most of an area to become NBN ready while works are being carried out to those remaining premises.

“In many cases, the existing infrastructure is old and in need of significant upgrades. The complexity of the works can cause delays and we apologise for the inconvenience this may cause.”