Lucy Wicks (Robertson, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise to support the motion moved by the member for Forrest, which does acknowledge the importance of the coalition's Mobile Black Spot Program to rural and regional communities. It's a $220 million program that's already resulted in commitments to deliver 867 base stations around the nation, and hundreds of those are already operational.

Mobile coverage is an essential service for families today, for businesses, for students and for residents on the Central Coast. Since being elected the member for Robertson, I've had the opportunity to hear from and work with hundreds of local residents to fight for better mobile coverage for suburbs with little or no coverage. I'm really pleased that earlier rounds of the Mobile Black Spot Program saw suburbs such as Somersby, Mount White and Mangrove Mountain get access to improved coverage and, importantly, better access to emergency services as a result of this improved connectivity.

Round 2 of the program saw residents of Calga and Peats Ridge benefit from improved mobile coverage, and we switched on a new Optus mobile base station there in July. The new tower at Calga has enhanced coverage along Peats Ridge Road over hundreds of square kilometres. With its proximity to the M1, the tower is also expected to increase coverage for people travelling along the highway.

We've committed to also improving mobile coverage for residents in Spencer, Wendoree Park and Killcare as part of earlier rounds of the program, and we've been working closely with these communities and with service providers to ensure that these commitments are delivered. Wendoree Park will get access to better mobile coverage thanks to a new Telstra macro base station, expected to be completed next year. The Telstra macro base station is set to provide improved coverage to areas of Killcare, Killcare Heights, Hardys Bay and Wagstaffe, with the rollout expected to be completed in 2019.

As with many large and worthwhile projects, there are often a number of challenges and obstacles along the way. This is the case with the commitment we made for better mobile coverage for the community of Spencer. I've been working for many years on this issue with the residents of Spencer, and I would like to pay special tribute to Robyn Downham and Belinda Repton for their continued and fearsome advocacy on this issue. Under this program, we announced a new base station for Spencer being delivered by Optus, but I've recently been advised by Optus that there are a number of access issues for the site, resulting in delays. However, Optus also advises that it is working on an interim satellite solution to be delivered as soon as possible. I look forward to working with Optus and the Spencer community to see much-needed mobile coverage delivered for local residents, and I'll update the House on the progress.

Our Mobile Black Spot Program has already made a difference to so many communities in my electorate. That's why I'm delighted to see that this government has announced a fourth round of the Mobile Black Spot Program. We will invest a further $25 million to deliver round 4 of the program and will soon call for applications from carriers to be selected through a competitive process. I encourage local residents to raise any areas of concern with me, and I also call on the Central Coast Council to nominate local blackspot areas across the Central Coast.

But the coalition government's commitment to delivering better mobile coverage does not end here with this program. In 2016, we announced a $12 million investment to improve mobile coverage on the train line between Hornsby and Wyong. For the one in four residents of the Central Coast who commutes long distances each day either by train or by car on the M1 or the F3, this is an important commitment and one that we are working hard to deliver. I'm pleased to advise that the tender process is underway as we speak, and our hardworking commuters should start to experience some improved services by the end of the year.

While the coalition is delivering better mobile coverage across the nation, the contrast between this government and the previous government could not be clearer. The coalition has fixed 867 mobile blackspots; Labor, in their six years of government, fixed zero. The coalition has generated $680 million in investment to date; Labor generated zero. I'm proud to be part of a government that is committed to improving mobile coverage in rural and regional communities like mine, and I commend this motion to the House.

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