Daily Telegraph Page 1 of 2

10-May-2011
Page: 1
General News
By: Gemma Jones
Market: Sydney
Circulation: 354252
Type: Capital City Daily
Size: 592.37 sq.cms
Frequency: MTWTFS-

First bats, then BER, now digital TV boxes

GET SET
FOR 110ITTS
Gemm a Jones
A NEW public waste scandal is
looming after it was revealed that
up to $400 a time has been
allocated to install digital TV set-
top boxes that can be purchased
for as little as $30 each.
The Federal Government has
pledged to give every pensioner a
new set-top box in today's
Budget. The package would
include installation, any
necessary wiring work, a lesson
in using it and a year's access to
a technical support helpline.
But in an echo of the failed pink
batts scheme, the Opposition
claims the costs of the $308
million scheme are massively
overblown and it would be
"cheaper to buy a new TV set".
Communications Minister
Stephen Conroy's office said
yesterday the package cost
about $350 per person, but his
spokesman declined to provide a
breakdown of labour, equipment
and administrative costs, saying
it was "commercial in confidence".
Continued page 4

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Copyright Agency Ltd (CAL) licenced copy Ref: 101394813

 Daily Telegraph Page 2 of 2
10-May-2011
Page: 1
General News
By: Gemma Jones
Market: Sydney
Circulation: 354252
Type: Capital City Daily
Size: 592.37 sq.cms
Frequency: MTWTFS-

Fear of
rorts in
digital
TV plans
From page 1 hour for one labourer I am worst case, left without emer- endorsed under a government
pretty confident you're not go- gency services updates at times scheme or have completed six
However, Opposition Treasury ing to be spending a day instal- of crisis. areas of competence in Digital
spokesman Joe Hockey said the ling each set-top box." NSW pensioners will begin Reception Technology.
scheme was as wasteful as the Under the BER school class- receiving boxes before the The Government is using an
Building the Education Revol- room and hall building projects, analog signal is switched off in online test to pass antenna
ution program and the bungled tens of millions of dollars were Griffith, Hay, Wagga Wagga, installers for entry to a
home insulation scheme. spent on management and ad- Wollongong, the South Coast government-endorsed program.
"This is the new school hall, ministration fees, while four and the Central West next year. The Government is building a
pink batt program. It seems as deaths, house fires and shonky The Hunter and New En- bank of installers, based on them
though the Government comes workmanship were linked to the gland regions are due to switch having at least 12 months ex-
up with a wasteful program bungled batts scheme. over to digital late next year perience and having passed an
every Budget," Mr Hockey said. Treasurer Wayne Swan said while Sydney will get only a online exam lasting about three
"How many hours does it the $308 million Budget sweet- digital signal in 2013. hours on installation.
take to install a set-top box. ener was to prevent pensioners Mr Conroy's office said in-
Even if you are charging $25 an being left in the dark and in the stallers of set top boxes had to be

Copyright Agency Ltd (CAL) licenced copy Ref: 101394813