Jenny McAllister (NSW, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Families and Communities) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

As someone who grew up in country coastal New South Wales, I understand the importance of being connected to other communities. Today, this means making sure that regional Australians have good access to high-quality mobile coverage. If you aren't connected, it's harder to get a job; it's harder to stay in touch with family and friends; it's harder to keep your small business afloat; and it's harder to contact emergency services in times of trouble. It is deeply concerning that, in 2018, many regional locations have little to no access to adequate mobile coverage. Inadequate mobile coverage creates social isolation. It limits the economic benefits of tourism and can put people's lives at risk.

This government's response to addressing mobile connectivity issues in regional Australia has been completely inadequate. It is not just Labor saying this. The ANAO report into round 1 of the government's program said the program was not meeting community priorities. In the electorates of Page and Gilmore, in New South Wales, locals are calling for a better deal when it comes to mobile coverage. Across the Page electorate, there are over 90 identified mobile blackspots. That means there are towns, suburbs and businesses with limited or no mobile coverage. Yes, this is concerning. The Summerland Way links Casino and Grafton. There is little or no mobile coverage along much of this critical transport corridor. It creates a dangerous hazard for motorists, tourists and emergency services.

The coalition's mobile blackspots plan has been plagued by delays, with the Productivity Commission stating that there is 'a risk that the Australian government funding is directed at expanding mobile coverage in locations for political reasons rather than to locations where overall community wellbeing might be better served'. Labor's candidate for Page, Patrick Deegan, has been calling on the government to fix the blackspots, with hundreds of locals signing a petition to put an end to bad coverage in their community. Fixing mobile blackspots across the Summerland Way should be a priority. We have to fix these to improve connectivity, motorist safety and emergency response times.

The electorate of Gilmore, on the New South Wales south coast, is a tourist hotspot, and that places seasonal demands on the Princes Highway. Mobile blackspots on this critical transport corridor create a dangerous hazard for motorists, tourists and emergency services. We know that, in emergency situations, almost 70 per cent of calls are made from mobile phones. The government's inaction on addressing this issue leaves the community frustrated and, frankly, isolated. Labor's candidate for Page, Fiona Phillips, has been listening to the people of Gilmore, and they are raising concerns about the lack of coverage on the Princes Highway. Hundreds of people have signed her petition calling on the government to fix the highway blackspots. Fixing the blackspots along the Princes Highway should be a priority to improve community connectivity, motorist safety and emergency response times.

Labor understands the importance of ensuring that all communities have access to quality mobile coverage. We are committed to investing in regional communications by completing and improving a first-rate NBN. We've also committed to strengthening regional communications by improving mobile connectivity. Labor supports a public program for co-investment by government to address mobile blackspots. We've committed to work with state governments, local councils, businesses and emergency services on regional connectivity plans to deliver better outcomes. We'll implement strategies to make use of existing infrastructure, such as light poles and fibre optic networks, and to encourage the sharing of infrastructure. Ten years ago only 10 per cent of Australians had no home line. Now there are approximately 6.7 million mobile services in use and around 31 per cent of Australians have no fixed landline at home. We need to do better. We need to ensure that mobile blackspots are addressed to meet community needs and to prioritise emergency service needs.