Fight continues for mobile blackspot funding

Member for Hinkler Keith Pitt is continuing to fight to secure funding for mobile black spots in the region.

The Coalition has committed an additional $60 million to extend the successful Mobile Black Spot Program if re-elected.

“This is an issue I have raised with my ministerial colleagues on numerous occasions,” Mr Pitt said.

“There are a number of problems spots throughout Hinkler and these have been put forward by my office for round 2 of the Mobile Black Spot Program.

“In November I presented a petition to Parliament signed by 606 residents in the Redridge area who do not even have SOS phone coverage.

“And just this week I had a call from a constituent in Pacific Haven, who is still having trouble with phone coverage.”

Mr Pitt said he understood the importance of mobile coverage in regional and remote areas of Australia.

“More new mobile base stations will bring a much-needed boost to mobile coverage, providing benefits to emergency service operators, businesses, and residents.

“The active cooperation of mobile network operators in the Mobile Black Spot Program has been strong, with 499 new or upgraded base stations covering around 3,000 black spots nation-wide already being rolled out under the Coalition Government.”

Following the success of the Coalition’s initial $100 million investment, another $60 million funding round is already under way, with successful locations to be announced by the end of 2016.

This means there are further opportunities to improve mobile coverage in Hinkler.

“The previous Labor government did not spend one dollar on fixing mobile black spots in regional and remote Australia,” Mr Pitt said.
 

“The Coalition’s $220 million plan to address mobile black spots will ensure regional and remote communities have access to wider and more reliable mobile phone coverage.”

This is another example of the Coalition’s commitment to drive investment as part of our national economic plan for jobs and growth.