Elsie Lange
Almost every day, in various local Facebook groups, residents in the Macedon Ranges discuss and debate telecommunications issues in the region.
Now, both major federal political parties have pledged to address the problem in the marginal electorate of McEwen if they win government.
On Thursday, April 24, the Labor party promised to provide $1.5 million in funding to help address mobile blackspots in Woodend and Gisborne South, if they win the next federal election.
Later that day, the Liberal party announced it would build two mobile base stations in Gisborne South and Mernda, as part of its $28.2 million funding for 66 mobile coverage projects.
In a shared statement, Communications Minister Paul Fletcher and federal Victorian senator Greg Mirabella announced the construction of three mobile sites in McEwen, including a Telstra site and an Optus site near the corner of Couangalt Road and Blackhill Road in Gisborne South.
“Improving coverage on the urban fringe will help communities access vital information during emergencies, seek help if needed and stay in touched with loved ones,” Mr Fletcher said.
Telstra confirmed Gisborne South will be one of the 16 sites it will co-invest with the federal government to build mobile base stations to improve regional connectivity.
McEwen Labor MP Rob Mitchell said improving mobile coverage in the region would be a “top priority for an Albanese Labor government”, and said they would work with council on delivering the projects.
“Scott Morrison should have funded these blackspot locations by now, particularly given the high bushfire risk in our area and our emergency service needs,” Mr Mitchell said.
Replying to a post about the issue in a local community group, one Facebook user said “The challenge is that there is no mobile coverage in most of Woodend”.
“So as soon as you step away from your property and wifi, call quality is an issue, sending an iMessage or any time of messaging app message is an issue, browsing a webpage or connecting to a GPS maps is an issue,” the resident said.
Liberal candidate for McEwen Richard Welch said he welcomed the government’s announcement.
“Connectivity is critical for families, and we can’t support and grow our regional businesses without it,” Mr Welch said.
