A new report has found Indi is the most successful electorate in Victoria, and the fourth most successful nationwide, when it comes to securing federal funding for new mobile phone towers.
The Connecting Indi report, published by Federal Member for Indi Helen Haines, analysed a decade of government data compiled by the Australian Parliamentary Library since the inception of the $380 million Mobile Black Spot Program in 2013, the same year that the electorate of Indi elected its first independent MP.
More than 65 new towers have been built across Indi since 2013, from Cudgewa to Kinglake.
In the most recent round, towers were funded in Burrowye, Koetong, Tawonga and Frenchman’s Gap.
“By working together as a community, we have had tremendous success under the federal black spot program,” Dr Haines said.
“But when it comes to better mobile coverage, there is always more work to do.
“There are still so many critical black spots that need funding, especially on major tourist and commuting throughfares like Wangaratta-Beechworth Rd, tourist hotspots like the Violet Town markets, and in bushfire areas where we simply cannot afford to have outages.”
Dr Haines also acknowledged areas that were not considered black spots, but had high demands from the growing population and at peak tourist times, needed to be addressed by government and telcos.
“We have some of the best attractions for tourists in all of Victoria, but I hear from businesses in towns like Mansfield and Bright, that when they are at their busiest, the internet can’t keep up,” Dr Haines said.
“It’s holding back our local economies.”
Alongside the report, Dr Haines announced that, if re-elected, she would work to increase the amount of funding available for new mobile towers from $500,000 to $1 million.
Dr Haines also released a list of 20 priority black spots that need funding as a place to start.
“People contact my office every day about phone and internet issues and the stories are harrowing,” she said.
“This week I heard a story where the phone was dropping out during a call to 000, and from an elderly (person) whose car broke down on a country road with no signal to get help.
“Working with the Indi Telecommunications Advisory Group (ITAG), my office tracks the location of mobile black spots, and we know where funding is needed.”
The Indi Telecommunications Advisory Group (ITAG) was established by former Federal Member for Indi Cathy McGowan and continued by Dr Haines.
It is a consultative committee comprising representatives from all nine local government areas across Indi as well as representatives from Telstra, NBN Co., and other telecommunication companies.
“Our success is all thanks to everyday people in our communities coming together and working with my office to identify priority mobile black spots which need fixing and put a compelling case forward for funding that is community-led, transparent and responds to real need,” Dr Haines said.
“These results show independents can and do deliver on the ground where it matters.
“I never take our success with programs like this for granted, and I’m committed to keeping Indi at the top of the table when it comes to critical infrastructure funding.”
The Connecting Indi report was launched on Friday at the Plough Inn on Wangaratta-Beechworth Rd in Tarrawingee, one of more than 20 mobile black spot locations that Dr Haines said she was committed to securing funding for if re-elected at the next federal election.
The mobile phone black spot commitment was the second announcement on phone and internet policy Dr Haines made recently
Earlier last week, Dr Haines announced she would be working to secure Federal Government funding to truly complete the NBN build in Indi.