In 2006, Morris Iemma, the NSW premier, announced that Sydney would have free wireless internet in 2 years. That plan's just been canned.
I can't say it's a big surprise. It would have been a fairly expensive project, and target dates would have inevitably been drawn out. But I'm actually surprised that the premier of a state would even propose something in the first place.
A state premier? Having heard of this new-fangled "internet" invention? There's no way you'd see Jon Stanhope proposing something similar. (Instead, it'd probably be yet more ranting gay people's rights)
You look at all the capabilities your average new mobile phone has nowadays -- and you can't even use any of them because of the exorbitant data rates telcos charge. I look forward to a day when free ubiquitous wireless internet sees mobile data rates going to an early grave.