Peter Hendy (Eden-Monaro, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Inadequate mobile phone coverage is one of the major issues for Australians living, working and travelling in regional and remote areas of the country. Nowhere is this more evident than in my electorate of Eden-Monaro. No matter where I travel in Eden-Monaro, mobile phone coverage is always one of the top issues raised with me.

Last month I attended a public meeting in Gundillion, south of Braidwood, and was grateful to the 80 residents who took time out of their days in this small and close-knit community to discuss the region's telecommunications issues. Many people shared their personal experiences of the hardship brought by inadequate or unreliable communication services. I acknowledge the hard work of the secretary of the Gundillion Hall, Mandy O'Brien, for facilitating this meeting.

These experiences are, however, shared experiences right across the towns and communities of Eden-Monaro. Communication services, and especially mobile phone coverage, are critical. They impact on local business, tourism, social amenity and the safety and wellbeing of the community. Despite this, in the six years they held office, the former government and the former member for Eden-Monaro did not invest one cent to rectify mobile phone blackspots.

After six years of no plan and no action by the former government, the coalition is delivering a good first step in building better mobile phone reception. The coalition government's $100 million Mobile Black Spot Program, included in this week's federal budget, has received an overwhelming number of applications. This highlights the importance of this issue to rural and regional communities.

After six years of inaction by Labor, the announcement of successful applicants and locations under the coalition program later this year will be an important milestone for improving communications in the bush. But we need to do more. The experiences of my constituents, like those at Gundillion but also in towns such as Nelligen, Numeralla, Dalgety, Carwoola, Bega, Wallagoot, Pambula, Towamba, Wyndham, Mystery Bay, Dalmeny, Bodalla, Turlingah, Bingie, Moruya, Malua Bay and Bredbo, for example, illustrate that we need to do more.

That is why I have launched a petition for better mobile phone coverage and more funding. This is a petition that will allow the residents in Eden-Monaro to demonstrate the importance of this issue to our community. Over the last few weeks, I have personally taken the petition to Michelago, Cooma, Berridale, Jindabyne, Merimbula and Eden. It is also available in both my Queanbeyan and Bega electorate offices. The initial response has been substantial. It is clear to me already that this petition will receive significant backing from the community. I thank everyone so far who has taken the time out to sign it. (Time expired)