Areas in Leichhardt will receive funding for improved mobile phone coverage if the Coalition is re-elected as part of an additional $60 million commitment to extend the successful Mobile Black Spot Programme, Warren Entsch Member for Leichhardt announced today.
Following lengthy consultation, Federal Member for Leichhardt Warren Entsch identified four new mobile base stations at Weipa, Mt Carbine, Daintree/Cape Tribulation and Wonga Beach along the Mossman-Daintree Road that will be prioritised for funding and will bring a much-needed boost to mobile coverage, providing benefits to emergency service operators, businesses, and residents.
“We have selected these areas of the electorate because they have been overlooked by mobile network operators due to commercial factors. A re-elected Coalition government will immediately invite mobile network operators to bid for this new funding to provide coverage in the identified locations at the earliest opportunity,” Mr Entsch said.
“The Coalition Government understands the importance of mobile coverage in regional and remote areas of Australia. That is why we are committing an additional $60 million on top of the $160 million already invested in mobile black spots, bringing the Coalition’s total investment to $220 million.
“The Coalition is committed to improving mobile coverage along major transport routes, in small communities, as well as addressing unique mobile coverage problems such as areas with high seasonal demand.
“The active cooperation of the industry in the Mobile Black Spots Programme to date has been strong with 499 new or upgraded base stations covering around 3,000 black spots already rolled out under Round 1 of the Coalition Government's programme. This includes three new base stations to serve Speewah, Coen Airport and Darnley Island”.
Minister for Regional Communications Fiona Nash said the Coalition's huge investments in rural mobile phone towers highlighted Labor's “do nothing” approach to this important issue.
“The Coalition is investing $220 million into fixing mobile black spots; in six years of government Labor invested $0. The Coalition is fixing 3,000 black spots in Round 1 alone of its Mobile Black Spots Programme; Labor fixed zero black spots. The black spots scorecard reads: Coalition $220 million and 3,000 black spots fixed so far; Labor $0 and zero black spots.”
The Coalition’s $220 million plan to address mobile black spots will ensure regional communities have better access to wider and more reliable mobile phone coverage.
