A crucial stage in ensuring the closing of the telecommunications gap between indigenous and non-indigenous communities has been reached with the completion of work on a broadband connection project at Aurukun on Cape York.
Telstra crews last week completed the community’s ADSL connection, an outcome long fought for by the Aurukun Shire Council and the LGAQ.
The work on the ADSL exchange was able to be completed partly thanks to a grant from the Industry Development Fund managed by the LGAQ and Telstra.
Aurukun Shire Council Mayor Dereck Walpo said the benefits have already been felt across the community.
"The school can now include an electronic curriculum, the police are happy with it too and it's making banking transactions much easier," Cr Walpo said.
"We're very happy with it - we were struggling but now it's running smoothly for the betterment of our community."
The exchange will replace Aurukun’s radio tower facility for telecommunications, which could only carry about 32MB of capacity, far short of what a community of that size needs.
LGAQ Innovation Executive Lou Boyle said the Aurukun project demonstrated there was still a big need for major investment in telecommunications infrastructure in remote areas in Queensland.
“This has been a long battle for the community but it probably shows how investment partnerships are one of the best ways to ensure these projects are built,” Mr Boyle said.