NBN Co, strata tie-up to ease fibre into unit blocks

Strata Community Australia (SCA) has allied itself with NBN Co to make it easier for the network builder to get building access to multi-dwelling units for the roll out of the National Broadband Network.

The alliance will see the creation of a register enabling NBN Co to contact the managers of owners corporations and body corporates.

The national strata advocacy group noted in a series of postings to its website the register would ensure no multi-dwelling units missed out on NBN cabling because "no-one could be contacted to assist with building access."

"Making contact with owners corporations can be challenging because there is no publicly available register or listing of office bearers, committee members or authorised representatives such as strata managers," SCA said.

"Also, these positions do turn over regularly and NBN Co needs to be talking to the right people at the right time."

The Gladstone Observer reported that the arrangement with NBN Co is a "six-month pilot program", which an SCA spokesman verified.

"This is all about facilitating access to sites by proactively contacting owners’ corporations and authorised representatives ahead of the construction program," an NBN Co spokesperson told iTnews.

SCA expected NBN Co or its contractors to consult the register once an area was approved for fibre rollout, though it noted that being on the list isn't required to get an NBN connection.

What SCA hoped to avoid was a situation where an MDU was skipped for being uncontactable, and then faced the prospect of paying NBN Co to come back and make the final connections and in-building cabling.

The registration page appeared to be inactive at the time of publication, with SCA stating it "is just undergoing final testing", urging strata representatives to return "soon".

The issue with gaining consents from relevant strata and executive committee representatives of buildings has been discussed for some time.

SCA member The Strata Management Group last year encouraged "executive committees to convene an executive committee or general meeting when they first receive notice of the rollout in their area.

"Speedier consent will mean works are completed on schedule and at a potential lower 'early adoption' cost, perhaps putting your Strata 'streets ahead'," the group said.