Complications related to the NBN rollout has delayed the relocation of a medical practice in Winmalee, with the practice manager labeling the situation “ridiculous”
Winmalee Medical Centre has been waiting to relocate to their new surgery on Whitecross Road, Winmalee since the beginning of August, but delays in the NBN connection, and resulting issues with Telstra, have proved a nightmare.
“This is the mess that the delay to NBN has created, because new premises have to try and get a landline from Telstra or do without,” said Federal Member for Macquarie, Susan Templeman. “In this case, the practice can’t operate without good internet and phone lines.”
Ms Templeman’s office has intervened in an attempt to resolve the standoff, but to no avail yet.
“NBN Co has advised my office that while the build continues and the area is not yet ready for NBN service, the network and connections side of things is still a matter for individual phone and internet providers,” she said.
“But certainly in the case of Winmalee Medical Centre, they’re being told something quite different by Telstra.
“It’s a confusing and frustrating situation and is being replicated across new homes and businesses. It wouldn’t be happening if NBN had rolled out as planned.”
Winmalee Medical Centre’s practice manager, Kim Vo said they were told by Telstra in late July they “couldn’t connect new phone lines because the NBN was rolling out in 15 days”.
“When we checked with NBN Co, that wasn’t the case, we tried again to get a regular phone service and are still waiting.
“This will be a major problem for us and our patients if we are unable to have the telecommunication infrastructure available to operate the medical centre,” she said.
“Up until now, Telstra is still unable to assist us with providing a connection because there is claim that NBN is preventing them from doing any work. All this NBN business is causing us stress and is affecting our business.”
Mrs Vo said they were “struggling” to accommodate a new registrar in their existing practice, “forcing some of our doctors to make sacrifices to make a room available”.
“It’s ridiculous. Telstra needs to step up,” she said.
But a Telstra spokesperson told the Gazette on Monday they hoped to resolve the issue shortly.
“We will contact the centre’s practice manager ASAP and work with her to ensure telephone and internet services will be ready when the medical centre opens at its new location.”
A spokesperson for the NBN said: “The nbn network build continues in Winmalee and the area is not yet ready for nbn service. We look forward to connecting the business when the build is complete.”
