(1) How many Transact customers are still waiting for the following services to be restored following the bushfires:

(2) When does the Minister expect that the services listed in (a), (b), (c) and (d) above will be fully restored;

(3) Is there a timetable for restoration of each of the above services for each suburb affected by the bushfires, if so, can details please be provided, if not, why not.

1(a) TransACT has advised that all of its telephony customers had their telephone services restored by 31 January 2003.

1(b) As of 31 March 2003, there were approximately 150 TransACT customers still without TV, Video On Demand or Internet services (broadband). These services rely on TransACT's optic fibre cable and there are sections of cable that need to be replaced in the badly affected bushfire areas. This cable replacement cannot occur until damaged infrastructure, such as poles, which is owned by other entities, has been replaced. Significant levels of electronic equipment in Chapman and Duffy were destroyed.

(2) TransACT is a private company and its relationship with the Government is through ACTEW Corporation's minority shareholding with several other private sector investors in the project. As such, the Government is not responsible for, and cannot