The Country
  • The Country home
  • Latest news
  • Audio & podcasts
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life
  • Listen on iHeart radio

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • Coast & Country News
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Horticulture
  • Animal health
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life

Media

  • Podcasts
  • Video

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whāngarei
  • Dargaville
  • Auckland
  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Hamilton
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Te Kuiti
  • Taumurunui
  • Taupō
  • Gisborne
  • New Plymouth
  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Whanganui
  • Palmerston North
  • Levin
  • Paraparaumu
  • Masterton
  • Wellington
  • Motueka
  • Nelson
  • Blenheim
  • Westport
  • Reefton
  • Kaikōura
  • Greymouth
  • Hokitika
  • Christchurch
  • Ashburton
  • Timaru
  • Wānaka
  • Oamaru
  • Queenstown
  • Dunedin
  • Gore
  • Invercargill

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / The Country

Watch NZH Local Focus: Internet speeds an election issue in Morrinsville

By Hunter Calder
NZ Herald·
2 Feb, 2017 06:17 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save
    Share this article

It's a connection many Morrinsville businesses rely on daily. But currently - many regional centres don't have access to ultra-fast broadband.

And businesses in the Matamata-Piako District are going to have to wait for at least another four years to be part of the second phase of the government's roll-out.

Frustrated business people in Matamata say it's their number one election issue.

Morrinsville Chamber of Commerce Chairman Nigel McWilliam says it's a "game changer" and says he's likely to vote for somebody who would give the town UFB "within the next three years".

Mr McWilliam says the current wait time is "a whole life cycle of a small to medium business" in some cases.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"I think that's a major election risk for the National Party to have the whole Matamata-Piako district not having UFB within a full term of government," he says.

LJ Hooker's office Manager, Lesley Manuel says the promised fibre should be connected sooner.

The Morrinsville branch currently uses VDSL, but Mrs Manuel says with more of their services moving to online platforms, having fibre connected to the town will be crucial for daily operations.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"If we don't have listings on the internet, we're not going to sell them."

Piako Group's Chief Financial Officer, Jacqui Gray, says people are "hot under the collar about the fibre" issue.

She says the government's announcement of a four to five year wait has given Piako Group some direction on whether to wait or go with the costly option of paying for their own fibre connection.

"Chorus have been in and had a measure up and with any luck we will have that pricing then we will make a decision on what we are going to do."

Nigel McWilliam says he can't understand how some towns are being prioritised over others.

"We're seeing that Coromandel has got broadband before Morrinsville yet I can't see how that's physically possible considering that we're only 15 minutes from Hamilton compared to where Coromandel sits on the scope of things."

He believes regional development is crucial for any developing economy.

In a written statement Crown Fibre Holdings, which is managing the UFB roll out, says the order towns get connected is driven by the need for a new network and the availability of contractors.

It says "apart from the acceleration of some towns prioritised for Regional Economic Development and potentially to enable rapid earthquake recovery, the timing and order of the roll out is based on partner work flow scheduling."

Made with funding from

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save
    Share this article

Latest from The Country

The Country

New unseen photos reveal Tom Phillips' campsite conditions

The Country

Record red meat prices on The Country

The Country

Western Australia sheep tour sparks new thinking for Kiwi farmers


Sponsored

Kiwi campaign keeps on giving

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from The Country

New unseen photos reveal Tom Phillips' campsite conditions
The Country

New unseen photos reveal Tom Phillips' campsite conditions

Phillips was shot dead after 4 years on the run. His kids are 'safe and well', say police.

09 Sep 03:04 AM
Record red meat prices on The Country
The Country

Record red meat prices on The Country

09 Sep 01:32 AM
Western Australia sheep tour sparks new thinking for Kiwi farmers
The Country

Western Australia sheep tour sparks new thinking for Kiwi farmers

08 Sep 11:04 PM


Kiwi campaign keeps on giving
Sponsored

Kiwi campaign keeps on giving

07 Sep 12:00 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP