Anne Webster (Mallee, National Party, Shadow Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I move:

That this House:

(1) notes that:

(a) regional Australians are subject to ongoing and significant challenges with access to reliable telecommunications coverage, despite many years of government investment and the fast pace of technological advance;

(b) regional connectivity is essential to modern life, for business and work, farm productivity, education, healthcare and social connection;

(c) many areas of poor mobile phone coverage remain across our regions, and regional Australians face ongoing impediments to their internet and landline voice service access, quality and reliability;

(d) the Regional Telecommunications Independent Review Committee (RTIRC) provides three-yearly investigations into the state and needs of telecommunications in regional, rural and remote Australia, as mandated by Part 9B of the Telecommunications (Consumer Protection and Service Standards) Act 1999;

(e) the first legislated review with a focus on the regions was in 2000;

(f) section 158Q(6) of the Act states that: 'if a report sets out one or more recommendations to the Commonwealth Government: (a) as soon as practicable after receiving the report, the Minister must cause to be prepared a statement setting out the Commonwealth Government's response to the recommendations; and (b) within 6 months after receiving the report, the Minister must cause copies of the statement to be tabled in each House of the Parliament'; and

(g) the Government is yet to meet the legislated requirements of the Act in respect of the 2024 RTIRC report which was tabled in December 2024; and

(2) calls upon the Minister to respond to and table said response to the recommendations of the 2024 RTIRC report forthwith, in accordance with the requirements of the Act.

I rise this afternoon to call out the Albanese Labor government's failure to prioritise action on regional telecommunications. The Regional Telecommunications Independent Review Committee, RTIRC, report was released in December 2024, and, while there is a legislative requirement for the government to respond to recommendations, of which there are many, within six months, we are yet to hear a peep nine months on.

The coalition's form in government in responding to RTIRC reports within the legislative timeframe was far stronger than Labor's, and I hope the government's response to the RTIRC report is not waiting until the universal outdoor mobile obligation, or UOMO legislation, passes parliament. UOMO is by no means a comprehensive solution to shortcomings in regional telecommunications.

RTIRC is not tasked with investigating how Australia can best plan for a transition to 6G or ensure sufficient broadband bandwidth to use multiple streaming devices and web based gaming. RTIRC looks at how to make sure regional Australians have a basic level of connectivity to participate in the essentials of life in the 21st century. While connectivity is essential to modern life for safety, business, work, farm productivity, education, health care and social connection, many regions across this vast nation face continuing impediments to their broadband internet and voice service access, quality and reliability, in addition to poor mobile phone coverage.

As the shadow minister for regional communications, I want to point to the Nationals, who champion regional connectivity and are committed to working with consumers and the telecommunications sector to design an updated universal service obligation that ensures regional Australians have the connectivity required to enable economic participation and maximise productivity gains, to access high-quality education content and virtual health care and for meaningful social connection. The RTIRC report calls upon the government to expedite universal service modernisation, which includes providing voice-capable broadband services with minimum speeds and standards for all premises; phasing out the copper continuity obligation where and when there is a proven and effective alternative technology; and having a USO that is technology neutral and flexible enough to readily adapt and be relevant to changing needs. The report also calls for system redundancy—namely, that premises without terrestrial mobile coverage can access an affordable secondary broadband service.

It is unacceptable that farmers who work out in the paddocks alone all day have no way of letting a loved one know if they've had an accident or a medical event, because they don't have mobile phone coverage, let alone continuous internet access for modern farm technology. It is unacceptable that regional consumers face lengthy delays without an internet connection when a mobile phone tower is being upgraded, where their only form of broadband is via the mobile phone system, with no alternative form of reliable redundancy. Regional people deserve better.

Technology is changing at pace, and we must keep abreast of it, harnessing its power to provide meaningful gains for regional Australians, who need it most. An upgraded USO may mean using low-Earth-orbit—LEO—satellite technology for home and commercial broadband and voice connectivity in the bush. It might also mean that LEO satellites provide basic mobile phone connectivity in areas where there is currently none and in places where expanding the terrestrial network is not feasible.

We also need to be realistic about what these technological advances look like and the timeframes involved; be aware of what industry is doing or likely to continue to do off its own back because it continues to make commercial sense; and listen to the experience and needs of consumers in the regions, who are often most cognisant of what really will make a difference on the ground. As the shadow minister for regional communications, I call on the government to table a response to this report with haste and to work in good faith with key stakeholders to address the recommendations of this report.

Colin Boyce (Flynn, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Is there a seconder for the motion?

Mary Aldred (Monash, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I second the motion and reserve my right to speak.

Jess Teesdale (Bass, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I welcome the opportunity to speak on telecommunications in regional Australia. This is a matter of real importance to the communities that I represent in Bass and across regional, rural and remote Australia. In 2025, telecommunications are absolutely not a luxury; they are an essential service. From a farmer in the Tamar Valley using agtech to monitor water levels to a student in George Town learning online to a mill worker in Branxholm who's connecting to a telehealth appointment, the ability to get that reliable service determines whether people can live, work and thrive within our regions.

But, as the 2024 Regional Telecommunications Independent Review Committee made clear, too many Australians do still face challenges. The committee conducted more than 20 consultations and received over 300 written submissions and over 3,000 survey responses, an impressive effort—well done. This report has set out 14 recommendations that focus on affordability, mobile capacity, resilience, connectivity literacy and digital inclusion. The committee's work highlights clearly what we already hear on the ground in Bass: mobile network congestion is rising, affordability is a concern and many people are actually unaware of the different connectivity options that are available to them. Tasmania in particular continues to face digital exclusion, with the Australian Digital Inclusion Index ranking our state below the national average on all things—access, affordability and digital ability. TasCOSS have noted that Tasmania also recorded the lowest digital literacy and skill score in the country. We have a lot of work to do.

I am pleased that our government, the Albanese Labor government, has made record investments in this space since 2022 through a $1.1 billion Better Connectivity Plan for Regional and Rural Australia. It is the single largest investment in regional communications since the rollout of the NBN. In Bass, this is already making a difference. We've got seven new mobile base stations that have been delivered and two new towers currently underway at Grindelwald and along the West Tamar Highway, along with a further $2.3 million committed. Battery backup systems have been installed at three sites to improve resilience during natural disasters, and in 2026 Tasmania will be the first state to access NBN's low-Earth-orbit satellite service, bringing high speeds and lower latency to communities currently on legacy satellite services.

I can speak very clearly to how important this will be. I was having a bit of an adventure when I was working remotely. My car broke down on the Arnhem Highway for two days. I am very lucky that we didn't have a crash. I'm also very lucky that I'm a little bit of a prepper at heart. We had water, food and a satphone. But unfortunately, at that time, if you had run out of data you couldn't actually restore that from your satphone device, so we were completely isolated. Two days on that road in April was really tough. The weather conditions were poor and not a single person drove past. So these low-Earth-orbit-satellite services will help save lives. That is absolutely key. We have a particular area in regional Bass that is notorious for car crashes. It's a dirt road, it is very remote and there is no service. This will save lives, and I'm really excited to see this come about.

The government is also committed to responding formally to the RTIRC report, in line with the telecommunications act 1999. While the timeline has been affected by the 2025 federal election and caretaker period, the minister has made clear that the recommendations remain under active consideration. It's a matter of process and not neglect, and the government response will reflect the seriousness and thoroughness of the committee's work. Importantly, telecommunications policy is not just about infrastructure; it's also about confidence and inclusion. People need to know what services are available, how to us them and how to stay connected. That is why programs like the Regional Tech Hub, community wi-fi initiatives and connectivity literacy training are essential, alongside the infrastructure investment.

Telecommunications are vital for regional prosperity, safety and participation. I thank the committee for its work, I commend the Minister for Communications for her leadership and I look forward to continuing to work with my community and the government to ensure that every corner of Bass and every corner of regional and remote Australia is connected and ready for the future.

Mary Aldred (Monash, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Regional communications and digital connectivity are critical issues for my electorate of Monash, and I commend my Victorian colleague the member for Mallee for her very strong advocacy and efforts to promote these issues. I am passionate about securing better mobile connectivity and communications infrastructure in Monash. The coalition walks the talk on this. The Albanese Labor government does not.

During the recent election I was joined by the Leader of the Opposition, Sussan Ley, in Korumburra to announce a commitment of $3 million to address mobile black spots across South Gippsland, West Gippsland and Bass Coast. Of course I'm disappointed that the coalition is not in government to deliver this. You don't need to go far to know why this commitment had such major support right across my electorate. I spoke to the local florist in Korumburra—a fantastic business, by the way—about her challenges talking to customers placing orders and having the phone drop out. Everyone in South Gippsland knows that, when you leave Korumburra heading to Leongatha, nine times out of 10 if you're on the phone it will drop out just past the timber yard as you leave town. Although, it seems to happen to me 10 times out of 10.

Mobile connectivity is a major challenge for small businesses, families and community organisations right across my electorate and beyond, and it's something that I believe needs to be addressed as a major national challenge. Unfortunately, regional Australia too often finds itself in Labor's no-care zone. It's something I have a long-term track record of advocating for in my electorate. Over a decade ago, when I was CEO of the Committee for Gippsland, I initiated one of the first Gippsland digital connectivity master plans to map out major mobile black spot and digital connectivity challenges.

The gap between metropolitan and regional Australia is widening, not closing, on critical infrastructure under this Labor government. Connectivity is a prime example. Even the OECD agrees. Last week the OECD released its report Closing broadband connectivity divides for all: from evidence to practice, and the findings are stark. While this government loves to talk a big game on its NBN performance, the OECD findings have a different take. In fact, they are particularly critical of the growing discrepancy between metro and rural broadband performance. There is still a lack of reliable high-speed infrastructure in many parts of regional Australia. We're not just talking about access here. Regional Australians have a right to demand metrics based on quality in digital and communication infrastructure as well. This means talking about not just where a property is technically able to access a service; it should be able to count on a benchmark of other metrics as well, including speed and consistency in connectivity.

One of the points the OECD makes very well in its report is that Australia is one of a group of countries that, whilst having extensive networks of broadband, is still struggling with the challenge of equality of access in regional areas. There could be no clearer message to this government in this report. The coalition is on a mission to eliminate mobile black spots from regional Australia, and I know how much advocacy and effort my good colleague the member for Mallee has invested on this front. Under the former coalition government, 1,295 mobile black spots were funded to provide improved mobile coverage for communities to stay connected, access essential services like health and education, and conduct business. I know how important this is for small business owners especially.

We won't stop there, because on this side of the Chamber we appreciate that much of Australia's wealth is generated in regional Australia. To continue to grow, make and manufacture goods and services the rest of Australia and, indeed, many parts of the world rely on us for, we need to be connected. The Albanese Labor government is holding regional Australia back through its lack of investment and proper support for digital connectivity. It is disconnecting us from a stronger, better future. I have no hesitation in saying on this front that regional Australia deserves so much better.

Matt Smith (Leichhardt, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on the motion moved by the member for Mallee regarding telecommunications. I couldn't agree more with the member; communication remains essential to rural and regional communities. For too many electorates such as mine, the digital revolution has been less of a revolution and more of a passive-aggressive email—at least, it would be if email were available. The lack of mobile and internet coverage across regional and remote communities is stymieing opportunity, creating negative health outcomes, making education harder to deliver and creating a safety issue on remote roads and for women fleeing DV scenarios. In too many communities, the second you are 800 metres out of town, the coverage drops out. In the trips I take up the cape, I know when I'm approaching town again as my phone starts pinging. Whilst I personally enjoy a few hours of solitude as I drive through my electorate, my enjoyment does not outweigh other people's safety or opportunity.

These problems are not new. Connectivity has always been an issue for Leichhardt. In fact, 97 per cent of the electorate of Leichhardt is without coverage. The cape is one of the great bucket list experiences traversed by tens of thousands of grey nomads yearly, and there is no mobile connection for them to call for help should something happen halfway between Coen and Weipa. There are a lot of very big animals on that road, especially at dawn and dusk, and, frankly, they are pretty cocky and do not necessarily yield to cars. A couple of years ago, I was caught on the wrong side of the river as the monsoon set in, with no coverage and not enough fuel to get back where I came from. With no coverage, I couldn't call for help. The road behind me was already cut off, so nobody was coming. I had to make some decisions that day that I would prefer not to have to make again.

Even between Cairns and Babinda, Cairns and Mareeba or Cairns and Port Douglas, reception drops out in certain places. These are major communities all within an hour of the 15th largest city in the country. Country people know where the coverage ends almost to the exact bend on the road. For too long, people from the bush have been forced to accept substandard reception with no choice of providers. I used to actually enjoy it when, in a past life, my managers would join me on some cape trips and their phones would stop working because they were with the wrong telco that had no footprint in the Torres Strait or the cape.

For all the complaints about Labor not caring about the regions, I do feel obliged to remind the member and all those opposite that we are taking action to improve communication access. Those opposite had 10 years to act and delivered very little, but Labor has been working since day one of government to help regional areas. While the coalition put connectivity for regional areas into the too-hard basket, those of us in government know the hard work must be done to help connect regional Australia. They beat about the bush, but when the time comes to actually take a stand, nothing happens. I guess we could take a look at the mess of the NBN to know they are either unwilling or unable to improve connectivity. A decade—that's how long they had to get this done. My daughter Sienna was five when they came to power, and now she's driving and about to finish high school. It's like a song stuck on repeat. Of course the regions matter. But you would think, instead of just saying it over and over again, those opposite would rather take action and actually get help to the regions. You bet I'll be working to deliver better connectivity to my region.

In fact, in one term and three months of the Albanese government, Labor has delivered more than those 10 years did. There is free community wi-fi in Pormpuraaw, Kowanyama and Hope Vale, improving education and health outcomes. The macro base cell station at Kuranda is being built right now. I was very proud to become part of an Albanese Labor government which, prior to the last election, committed to bringing coverage to all of Leichhardt. Not bits; not just the towns—all. And that's not to mention the millions invested in black-spot funding, improving the NBN or better protecting phone and internet customers. Children living in the bush have the same right to education, health, security and safety—and this is what connectivity can bring.

You'd think that's what those opposite might want to focus on, but instead they're intent on driving us straight towards a climate crisis with more expensive power and fewer regional jobs. The former member for Leichhardt was a warrior for his, and now, my electorate. He was repaid with indifference from the leadership of the LNP, as opportunity after opportunity slipped us by, and they took the regions for granted. But not us—we will meet the problem where it lies, invest in these communities and give them a chance to thrive. Communication in the bush has always been a challenge, but it appears only one side wants to act on it.

Helen Haines (Indi, Independent) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Every three years, the federal government conducts a regional telecommunications infrastructure review. Its purpose is simple: to assess the quality of phone and internet infrastructure and services across regional Australia. It assesses what's working, where the gaps are and what needs fixing. Poor phone and internet connection is one of the top issues I hear about from my constituents and one of the top issues I have worked on since I came to this parliament. So I thank the member for Mallee for this motion.

In Indi, we've made great progress delivering more than 65 new or upgraded mobile phone towers since 2013. That makes us the most successful electorate in Victoria, and that didn't happen by chance; that happened by solid, hard, consistent work. It's real progress, but there's so much more to be done. The federal government has a responsibility to ensure regional communities have access to stable, affordable high-speed telecommunications. Our regions simply cannot afford second-rate services. Poor telecommunications are a barrier to prosperity, a handbrake on productivity and create significant challenges for our communities in times of emergency.

In May last year, I was glad to welcome the Regional Telecommunications Independent Review Committee to Benalla, in my electorate. In the morning, mayors and CEOs from across Indi's nine local governments joined me for a roundtable discussion with the committee. We were able to share our concerns directly and robustly. Later in the day, a public meeting was held at the Benalla town hall, with more than 50 local people turning up to share their stories. One clear message emerged, and that is that there's a lot more to be done.

I was determined to make a submission that would meaningfully shift the dial and reflect what my community was saying. My submission to the review contained nine recommendations based on local experience and solid community input. My submission was informed by meetings of the Indi Telecommunications Advisory Group, a consultative group of nine local governments, telco representatives and community members—and a group that I pulled together following the great example from my predecessor, Cathy McGowan, who set up the same type of group. Time and time again, ITAG has shown that when we work together we get results.

When the regional telecommunications review report was published in late 2024, the recommendations reflected several of my own, which I was extremely glad to see. So I am now calling on the Albanese government to respond to that report and lay out its plan for the next three years. We can't wait until the next fire or flood to build resilience—we must act now.

A great local example is in Jamieson, where the STAND program supported the installation of a community energy node at the memorial hall. In an emergency, the hall can now offer satellite internet and power backup for several days. This keeps the community connected, long after the power goes out. My recommendation to the government is simple: replicate this model right across Australia.

Another key recommendation that I took to the election was the need for more generators and batteries to provide backup to mobile phone towers when the power goes out. I have put forward a policy, costed by the Parliamentary Budget Office, to install 24-hour power backup at mobile phone towers in high-bushfire-risk areas. I hope the government and the opposition will support this practical and cost-effective policy which the committee backed.

Affordability is another issue, and I simply don't accept that a regional internet tax is the price we must pay for living outside of the major cities. The regional internet tax comes in many forms. It's businesses that miss out on sales because EFTPOS machines drop out of connections; it's farmers forced to buy expensive signal boosters just so they can run the farm using modern technology; it's parents who struggle to work from home because the internet can't handle online meetings. This unfair burden falls onto regional Australians just because of where they live. It's not right, and I'm disappointed that affordability was not a focus of the government's review. I am encouraged, however, by the NBN's recent announcement that it will offer satellite internet at affordable rates to regional Australians. This is encouraging. It's a development I was glad to see, and I was glad to meet with NBN directly to discuss this promising development.

The government has a quality review before it, with robust recommendations that would make a real benefit to regional Australia. Implement these recommendations, make us safer and unlock significant economic potential and productivity gains. The government have been sitting on this review now for over six months, so it's time they stood up, responded and laid out their plan for regional telecommunications over this term of parliament, built on the solid progress made in the last three years and demonstrated that regional communities matter.

Lisa Chesters (Bendigo, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I'm pleased to rise to speak on this motion because it gives me an opportunity to share with people and to talk about our government's plan for the universal outdoor mobile obligation.

Now I forgive those opposite if they've missed this, but this is a critical step that our government is taking to make sure every Australian has access to mobiles. It comes as no surprise to any of us that represent regional electorates that, right now, approximately 30 per cent of Australia's landmass receives outdoor mobile service—meaning 70 per cent don't. There are around five million square kilometres of Australia that are currently without coverage, where there is also no access to triple 0. This is today, in 2025. Despite all the advances of technology, this is where we're at.

Our government is the first government to be taking action. I'm actually genuinely talking about a universal outdoor mobile phone obligation. It is us talking about it, not the previous government who had 10 years to talk about it and act. Instead it has fallen to a Labor government to take action. The universal outdoor mobile obligation will enable, for the first time, baseline outdoor mobile connectivity across Australia. The UOMO will require Telstra, Optus and TPG to provide access to outdoor mobile, SMS and voice across Australia. They will be expected to leverage their existing mobile networks, as well as new low-Earth-orbit satellites, using direct-to-device technology.

The government is working to introduce legislation as soon as possible, subject to the development of the satellite network. The obligation will be expected to commence in late 2027. That is what we're doing. Within two years, we are saying that we hope to have, for the very first time in our country, the universal outdoor mobile obligation—not in a motion, not as chatter, not to be shut down by the Liberals in the coalition party room. It's a Labor government that is delivering. Our government is engaging closely and constructively with industry to develop the legislation and the plan for implementation. This reform is vital. It is a vital safety net for communities, as we have heard from the member for Leichhardt and the member for Bass, and even in areas of my own electorate. It will ensure that, all across Australia, people will have access to free calls to triple 0, not to mention the ability to do their day-to-day work. Introduction of the legislation sends a very clear message to the market that the government wants to see day-to-day services delivered in Australia, and we want strong and competitive markets to provide the best experience for end users.

This is just one of the many telecommunication messes that our government is cleaning up from the previous coalition government—the mess to the NBN. Far too many of our regional towns received fibre to the node, trying to rely on out-of-date, broken copper to receive communication and internet. It just didn't work. In my own electorate of Bendigo, our government is completing the job, rolling out more fibre to the curb as we speak, to ensure all of our households can connect to fast, reliable internet, critical for the businesses that might be on more urbanised streets and for schoolchildren and university students, as well as those who might be working from home. Let's also not forget the mess of the Mobile Black Spot Program rolled out by those opposite. It was clunky, it didn't improve connectivity and it was quite biased in where it was allocated. Whilst I acknowledge that we did receive some upgrades in my electorate during their time in government, it rarely actually increased coverage. That was what the Auditor-General's report found.

What we have done has started to improve that by doing our own audit to discover where the real black spots are. That will be the foundation of where we allocate future funding. There are so many programs that our government is rolling out to improve connectivity in the bush. From the pump to the on-farm scheme to improvements to the mobile black spot scheme to the universal obligation that I have outlined, our government is getting on with ensuring regions are connected.

Colin Boyce (Flynn, Liberal National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The time allotted for this debate has expired