Michelle Landry (Capricornia, National Party) Share this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House notes:

(1) the Government's $220 million commitment to fixing mobile phone blackspots in regional Australia;

(2) that rounds 1 and 2 of the Mobile Black Spot Program have led to many positive outcomes for regional and remote Australians through the rollout of 765 towers; and

(3) that when in Government, Labor failed to set aside appropriate funds to help improve mobile phone coverage in regional and remote Australia.

In this day and age, most people in urban Australia take it for granted that you can use your mobile phone to do almost anything—ordering the groceries, doing the business payroll, ordering a taxi and sometimes even making a phone call. Australians living in major cities and towns would be lost without their handheld devices. People in regional and remote Australia have had to contend with modernisation without the tools to help them.

Mobile connectivity is a critical part of daily social and business interaction, and it is vital for personal safety. But it was never afforded the time of day by the Labor government. Balancing commercial viability with service necessity is an ongoing challenge for infrastructure investment in regional Australia. Labor buried their heads in the sand, and the coalition is fixing the problem.

Until the coalition came into power, mobile phone connectivity was sorely neglected. Over $200 million has been committed to fix this inequity. We invested an additional $60 million to cover black-spot locations that have not received funding, including locations overlooked by mobile network operators because they were uncommercial. In fact, we have been so determined to address the issue that the funds committed in current rounds have exhausted construction capacity. It will take around two years for current construction to be completed on these towers, and my government will continue to support ongoing rollout.

Let us look at the figures under the coalition: 4,400 black spots are being covered; 765 phone towers are being delivered; and there are 83,300 kilometres of new handheld coverage. Under Labor: zero, zero, and zero. Labor say they are all for helping the vulnerable, yet they fail to deliver or budget for anything of merit to assist them. The Turnbull-Joyce government is making a real difference, helping regional Australia to overcome the barriers of distance, communication and technology.

Up to 21 of the 71 mobile black spots nominated in Capricornia are being addressed. In the last two years, we have seen funding for 10 new mobile phone towers or major upgrades to existing towers allocated across Capricornia, and that is just in Capricornia. Across Australia, these commitments under rounds 1 and 2 of the coalition's Mobile Black Spot Program will improve mobile coverage along major transport routes, in small communities and in locations prone to experiencing natural disasters. Further coverage will be provided by handheld or external antennas to all parts of the Livingstone, Isaac, Pioneer Valley, Sarina and Mackay districts.

On 9 May this year, I visited the Clarke Creek State School to see the damage caused by Cyclone Debbie. The school was in a terrible state, but there was one beacon of light: the brand new mobile phone tower just near the school stood bright and undamaged. I can assure you, Deputy Speaker, that the magical five bars are a welcome relief to this community and not taken for granted. The kids in Clarke Creek can now have the world at their fingertips, research their school assignments online and, yes, annoy mum by incessantly playing Candy Crush.

Producers can check cattle prices while out fixing a fence. Parents can now call to say they are running late or book medical appointments while waiting for the kids to finish school. Some of these activities may seem frivolous, but for regional Australians this is a novelty.

Most importantly, it increases connectivity and productivity for regional Australia. It gives regional Australians a chance to create, to study and to grow, just as their city compatriots can do. I applaud the coalition government for evening out the playing field and giving the regions a chance to grow.

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