Brett Whiteley (Braddon, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Recently, I have been in contact with the Sisters Beach progress association which have indicated to me their intention to apply for funding under the coalition government's Mobile Black Spots Project. Sisters Beach is a small coastal town in my electorate of Braddon, situated inside the Rocky Cape National Park on the north-west coast of Tasmania.

Mobile phone coverage is not just a matter of convenience for Sisters Beach; it is a matter of safety for its hundreds of residents and thousands of visitors. Once a seasonal holiday village, Sisters Beach is now home to almost 450 permanent residents. However, this small town swells during the summer months to nearly 1,000 people, with thousands of holiday makers visiting the beach each year. What makes this town so attractive for visitors is also cause for great concern: its remoteness, lack of access and dense bushland.

In 2013, Sisters Beach was placed on a 'Bushfire Watch and Act' warning by the Tasmanian Fire Service, but residents and visitors were unable to receive vital fire updates due to the lack of mobile phone coverage. Fortunately, in this instance no harm came to the residents. But it does highlight the great concern the community and I have for the safety of residents and visitors.

Mobile phone coverage is not only an issue of fire safety but, obviously, it limits access to all emergency services. It is time for this not-so-sleepy town to get the attention it deserves. I will be supporting the residents in their cause.