A number of Newcastle suburbs, including the poorly serviced broadband areas of Thornton and Stockton, have at last been formally added to the National Broadband Network (NBN) rollout plan.

This is a significant win for residents who have campaigned tirelessly to be added to the NBN rollout plan since the Abbott Liberal Government wiped the entire region off the maps when they were elected.

While nbn’s media announcements failed to include Newcastle suburbs in the list of localities added to the plan, a more detailed update confirmed the addition of a number of suburbs in Newcastle for the first time, including Thornton, Stockton, Fern Bay, Adamstown and Beresfield.

While this is welcome news and for some, the first time they will receive access to a broadband service, work on most sites is not due to commence until 2016 and residents will only receive access to Malcolm Turnbull’s slower, less-reliable Fibre-to-the-Node NBN that relies on the old copper network.

Access to high-speed broadband is an essential service and vital for educational, health, social, business and everyday transactional applications. Yesterday’s announcement is a level of assurance for residents that they deserve but I will continue to put the case for our region to the Minister until residents are actually connected to the NBN.

Full list of Newcastle Suburbs to be added

Beresfield, Hexham, Tarro, Thornton, Woodberry, Tomago, Heatherbrae, Adamstown Heights, Kotara South, Callaghan, Georgetown, Jesmond, Mayfield West, North Lambton, Sandgate, Warabrook, Waratah, Waratah West, Adamstown, Adamstown Heights, Birmingham Gardens, Elermore Vale, Jesmond, Kotara, Lambton, Maryland, New Lambton, New Lambton Heights, Rankin Park, Shortland, Wallsend, Fern Bay, Kooragang, Stockton.