MOBILE phone blackspots across south-west Victoria will be in line for funding under a $100 million Coalition plan for phone coverage, Wannon MP Dan Tehan says.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
The policy released yesterday is aimed at providing coverage to areas at risk of natural disaster.
Speaking to The Standard yesterday, Mr Tehan said small towns across Wannon such as Dergholm, Bealiba, Carisbrook, Digby and dozens of others had abysmal phone coverage.
Around $80 million will be diverted to towns at risk across Australia under the policy.
“We’ll address blackspots in communities prone to bushfires or floods and along major highways,” Mr Tehan said.
In January, Dartmoor district residents were under threat from bushfires several kilometres away at Drik Drik but some didn’t receive emergency messages and found it nearly impossible to access CFA information online.
Larger tourists towns that face clogged networks during summer would also be given relief.
“There will be another $20 million for unique issues such as what Port Fairy, Peterborough and Port Campbell experience with congestion issues,” Mr Tehan said.
Telstra moved mobile equipment into Port Fairy during this year’s Folk Festival after coverage meltdowns in previous years. But Mr Tehan said the Coalition would only pay for 50 per cent of deploying “mobile blackspot solutions” and would rely on private telcos to foot the other $10 million.