I would just like to raise four issues with you regarding Telstra. All of these have affected me significantly and I feel that they are relevant to the proposed sale of the rest of the utility. The issues are:

1. Coverage. I purchased a CDMA over two years back on the basis that the Telstra coverage map CLEARLY indicated that Mole Creek was covered. When I found out that this was not in fact the case Telstra's response was that there was a fine print disclaimer. This lack of coverage impacts my business (as it does many others in the area). Also as I live alone (and am over 60) there is a significant personal risk. Six months ago I rolled the ATV on top of me. It took over two hours to extricate myself and there was no way in which I could call for help. This is not on.

2. The way that Telstra lay their cables interferes significantly with normal farm management. Last year I needed to lay piping for water reticulation to new stock troughs. Called "Dial before you dig" and got a map from Telstra purporting to show where the cables ran under my property. I did a deep rip and laid the polypipe. Only to find that I had cut the Telstra cable to adjacent properties. Despite the fact that the pipe laying didn't come within 20 metres of the map layout. Telstra then charged me for the repairs. When I complained that I had worked within the guidelines of the map Telstra responded that the map was only a general guide, not intended to be accurate, and that it was the landowner's responsibility and "duty of care" to accurately determine cable location. At their own expense. I have this in writing. Obviously Telstra does not have a "duty of care".

3. Telstra refuses to lay their cables at a sufficient depth so as not to interfere with normal farming management such as ripping, pipe laying, ploughing. Their response to me has been - "if you want it laid like that you dig the trenches". Nor will they lay their cables around the paddock fence lines. So as to minimise impact on farming operations. "too much trouble".

The breathtaking arrogance of Telstra and the powers which they seem to have under the existing legislation is appalling. I would strongly urge you to oppose the further sale of Telstra until some of these issues are rectified and cast in legislative stone.