"""
Raw Mustard the gentleman you quote is a fool.
"""

Why, because you don't agree with him?

Aren't you the one constantly telling everyone we have differing opinions and to respect others?

However , surely, this tragic event, now in more than one state,just to be made good will see MORE NOT LESS SPENDING.
"""

I don't think he was advocating less spending, Belly. More that we should be spending what little we have left on returning peoples lives to normal, many who have lost it all.

I know if I was one such unfortunate, I wouldn't give a damn about fiber optic cable to my mud filled tent.

"""
Lets not forget the NBN is a 10 yr project. If these sort of things are going to happen more frequently maybe it is better to put money into more sustainable projects.
"""

Exactly, 579. Like dams to help prevent it happening again and to capture water for when the droughts return!

Raw Mustard it has taken me years to know the bloke for what he is, do not deny me the right to a view shared by a great many.
And this country is not broke,we will suffer from this, but far more spending than the NBN will go on, while we spend a great deal on this.
It is a fact the costs will be shared,tax payers insurance, and we pay again with AT LEAST a 1% drop in our country's GDP.
I do get rude, try not to, but you RM delight in serving it up,cute one liners thrown as missiles, but you get up set on serve return.
I think you used this tragic event to settle political scores.
I remind readers this could be you,have you given yet Aussie?

I believe it is time we learned not to build towns and cities in flood plains and place levy banks as has Grafton and the cost to rebuild would be greatly reduced.

Philo quite a few have said that in the last two weeks.
But let us look closer at the towns you mention.
Brisbane was founded a very long time ago Grafton too.
Look back and you will see the rivers played a big part in building those city's there, and at the time.
Victoria is , this mornings media says, under water a very large percentage more than half.
Are we to abandon flood plains? even if, and it is true,some city's would never be rebuilt.
Are we to pull down city's and move them, can it be done?
Local government is run by developers and real estate sales men.
Maybe we need a law saying this land is flood prone in every sale.
More Queenslanders, maybe only in some areas.
But the best lands are indeed always in flood lands and no simplistic answers exist.
More dams for sure,but understand full dams must over flow and recent rain would have seen just that.

Suezyon line; if they stopped the NBN now the work that has been done
would not be wasted, it could be put to work and used.
Then perhaps over time more could be done.
A good move would be to link all non fibre towns with fibre to their
exchanges and stop at that point.
That would be the biggest bang for the dollar.

The biggest cost is running it past every house, perhaps 70% of the cost.