We live on Elcho Island off the coast of Arnhemland. Three weeks ago we phoned Telstra to ask for one telephone line to be moved from one office to another, around 8mts in distance. We were told no, Telstra don't do this sort of work anymore. We have to phone their contractor ABB (I think it was called ) in Melbourne. They asked for our postcode 0822 and said they would send someone from Berry Springs to do the job. Now Berry Springs is as far from us as Albury is from Melbourne. When I pointed this out they put me through to their Darwin branch. I was then told it would cost us around $1,000.00 to have this simple job done. That included a return Airfare and hourly rate.

If this is happening now, what will it be like when the full sale goes through? We were told by the ABB branch in Darwin that the bush including us would be well and truly screwed (their words not ours) also they said for a slab of beer the Telstra guys, who come over here from Gove every two weeks, would do the job? We are a dry Island and what sort of thinking is this?