Dereel

The editor has asked that digital versions of the Rokewood and district newsletter (i.e. our community newsletter) no longer be posted on this website and of course we will comply with those wishes unreservedly. You will need to pickup or organise your own copy to be delivered to you. There are no published details on where other pickup locations are (I only know of the one at Rokewood Take Away but I've been told they are also available at Dereel, Cape Clear and Napoleons but I have no details on exactly where - just a town name) or how to organise delivery but I'm sure if you call the editor she'll help you out. Maybe they'll post more details in the next edition.

I live in hope that the editor with the rest of the Rokewood newsletter committee will address the lack of a digital version of our community newsletter like Meredith and Bannockburn have already managed (for more than 2 years each). I can of course continue to offer the service free of charge on behalf of our community if the committee and our community want such a service.

The old Dereel shop will be hosting a car boot sale on Australia day this year, if you happen to be at a loose end between BBQs be sure and drop in.

Tony Gibbs from NBNco has sent through a community update on the NBN roll out in Dereel. You can read it in full here:

Dereel Community Update: NBN Co Fixed Wireless Service
By Tony Gibbs, Community Relations, NBN Co

 

Dereel has been selected as one of the first communities in regional Victoria to be connected to the National Broadband Network (NBN) via its fixed wireless service. Dereel residents, business owners and students have the opportunity to look forward to high-speed broadband, which has the potential to enhance the way everyone connects with one another, from health and education to lifestyle and business.

The question everyone is asking is 'when will we be connected to the NBN?' The answer is that NBN Co has currently lodged a development application (DA) with the local council in relation to the fixed wireless facility it would like to install to provide broadband services in the area. If this proposal is approved, Dereel is expected to be connected to the NBN by mid-2012, providing the potential to offer enhanced broadband download and upload speeds* to local residents.

NBN Co held two, two-hour information sessions in Dereel on Tuesday 6 December as part of its ongoing commitment to provide open and transparent consultation with the community. Both sessions were well attended and were an opportunity for local residents to find out more about the NBN and the fixed wireless service. While many people openly expressed their support, a small group voiced concerns about the proposal. NBN Co is working with the community as a whole at each and every stage of the rollout to address these concerns and to ensure residents' feedback is heard.

Dereel is receiving the NBN via fixed wireless service rather than fibre optic cable. As highlighted in the information sessions, Ballarat is among the first handful of places in Australia to see the rollout of the NBN. NBN Co plans to roll out fibre to 93 per cent of Australian premises. In areas where population density is lower, it's more efficient to roll out fixed-wireless services. Where we can't provide fixed wireless services, NBN Co will be offering satellite services.

Dereel falls into the category of being part of one of five first release sites in Australia selected for the fixed-wireless service. NBN Co is planning to build a fixed wireless service using the latest fourth generation technology commonly referred to as 4G or LTE. This is the same technology that is just starting to be used for mobile data services. While NBN Co's fixed wireless service is not a mobile broadband service, it will use cellular technology to transmit signals to and from a small antenna fixed on the outside of a home or business premises. The antenna is then connected to NBN Co's equipment inside the house in a similar way to a fibre-based service. Unlike mobile broadband services where people move in and out of an area or get further from the centre of the cell, the advantage of a fixed wireless service is that the network can be built for a known number of users at a set distance from the base station.

In other words, NBN Co is designing its network to a target standard of service, and plans to offer internet service providers wholesale broadband services designed for speeds of up to 12/1 megabits per second (Mbps) , and aiming to offer higher speeds in the not too distant future.

To offer this service to people in Dereel and some of the other smaller communities in the Ballarat region, NBN Co needs to install transmission equipment. In designing the network the first thing we do is try and use existing mobile infrastructure, and in fact around half of the network can be built by simply co-locating our equipment at existing sites. However, to deliver the level of service we are targeting, it does mean some new sites will need to be established.

In building the network we are committed to consulting with the community as we work to comply with council development application processes.

Part of the information supplied to councils for all existing and new site proposals is a report on cumulative electromagnetic energy (EME) based on predictions of the maximum signal strength from a proposed facility. The power required to operate the NBN fixed wireless broadband network is really very low, particularly when compared to the power levels required by TV and radio broadcasts.

The EME reports that we have submitted with the development applications show that the EME from the NBN equipment is a small fraction of the acceptable safety limits. The safety standard in Australia is based on the international safety standard recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

We are also aware that there may be concerns about the visual impact of any new structure, and we aim to provide the lowest impact structure that can support the necessary level of service. For example, in some areas it may be possible provide service via a 30-metre concrete pole, but because of terrain in other areas a larger structure may be necessary.

More information is available on the website operated by the responsible government agency http://www.arpansa.gov.au/eme.

If you would like to find out more about connecting to the NBN and the fixed wireless service, we encourage you to contact the NBN Co Solutions Centre on 1800 881 816. If you would like to view a map showing the respective fibre and fixed-wireless services areas in the Ballarat district, as well as further information about the NBN rollout plans in Victoria, please visit the NBN Co website at: www.nbnco.com.au.
* Speeds actually achieved by retail customers (end users) will depend on a number of factors including the quality of their equipment and in-premises connection, the broadband plans offered by their service provider and how their service provider designs its network to cater for multiple end users.

The planning application for the Dereel communications tower has been submitted to council and if you would like to help ensure its approval now is a good time to write them a letter. I have spoken with the town planner in charge of the application (Amy Boyd) and she has informed me that anyone wanting to send in letters of support should do so before January 6th 2012.

I will be sending in to the council the petition results from this website as this communications tower is not just for NBN high speed broadband but it will also be used by mobile phone providers to give Dereel mobile phone service. If you signed the petition on this website rest assured that your wishes will be heard, but if you would like to reinforce your view I would suggest also writing your own letter of support.

The council prefer to receive letters via post (rather than electronically or by fax) so please send your letters of support to:

Amy Boyd, Town Planner
Golden Plains Shire Council
PO Box 111
Bannockburn Victoria 3331

The planning application reference number (which should be included in your letter) is: P11-334

Letters of support need to be received before the 6th of January 2012.

Edit: here is the notice from the Courier:

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Footnote: Sadly I have learnt that Wendy McClelland is still attempting to stop our community getting a communications tower. This time she is trying to change NBNco's mind and switch to providing service to Dereel via fibre optic cables instead of wireless using a petition. This is a pointless move on her behalf as there is no fibre network connectivity anywhere near Dereel for such cables to uplink into. To get fibre optically connected to the NBN we would not only need more residents (there is a population threshold for such connectivity) but it also requires the NBNco Internet backbone running past our community - neither of these conditions are met for Dereel and so it is not an option for us unfortunately (believe me if I could get fibre optic cable running to my home I'd be extremely happy, but I am a realist and understand the limitations esp. as I have over 20 years experience with Internet networking having worked for many ISPs - unlike Wendy McClelland who clearly doesn't know what she's talking about).

If Wendy McClelland is to be believed (hint: she isn't) our bee population should be decreasing as they are killed off by "deadly pulsed microwave radiation". Well actually their numbers are exploding and they are producing more honey than ever. It appears nothing Wendy says adds up.

Bee breeding skyrockets in central Australia

Of course I'd expect Wendy to come back and make some bold claim that central Australia doesn't have very much "deadly pulsed microwave radiation", so here's a map of towers in and around Alice Springs (the town the story is about):



That's 236 official installations in Alice Springs known by the ACMA. I'm still waiting for a single bit of proof to back up Wendy McClelland's claim that communications towers "adversely affect all living things" because the real life facts clearly don't line up with Wendy McClelland's fairy tale facts.