After years of being neglected, residents of Mount Tomah will receive improved mobile phone coverage, as Labor delivers its election promise.
The Albanese Government’s Regional Connectivity Funding program will provide a new Telstra macro mobile site that will offer improved mobile voice and data coverage in Mount Tomah and along a nearby section of the Bells Line Road.
The Federal Member for Macquarie Susan Templeman welcomed the announcement saying the $623,775 for the new site, invested by the federal Government will provide a lifeline for Mount Tomah residents.
“I’m so sorry residents have had to wait for 7 years for this funding to finally be guaranteed. The Liberal government announced funding for a tower at Mount Tomah in 2015 but the plan was secretly switched to Gollan, near Dubbo, four years later.
“In those intervening years, we know that reliable mobile coverage is no longer a luxury but a necessity, particularly in disaster prone areas like Mount Tomah where internet and digital communication are life-saving during emergencies.
“Families and communities in regional areas are too often relying on out of date digital infrastructure. This upgrade will certainly make day to-day life easier for the community, help people driving through the area, and in the case of a natural disaster or emergency will
provide an essential lifeline for residents.
“I’ve never understood why the previous government took away funding that they’d committed to. Even after bushfires ravaged the region, they showed no interest in helping out Mountains residents with essential infrastructure.
“I want to thank the community for their efforts to get this funding sooner – they met with me and my then Shadow Minister and now Communications Minister, Michelle Rowland, supported me when I spoke about it in Parliament on many occasions, and continued to offer support and suggestions on how to get the previous government to listen.
“I’m also grateful to the support from the Blue Mountain Rural Fire Service and Blue Mountains Council who could see how vital it was to fix this mobile black spot.
“This funding reflects the commitment of the current Government to support communities so they are better prepared to face natural disasters.”
