Matt Thistlethwaite (Kingsford Smith, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Treasury) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Demand for new mobile phone technology is fuelled by communication—talking, texting and ever-emerging trends for how we communicate in our world. Our community understands the need for new mobile communication infrastructure. But if you're in the business of communication, you should practise what you preach, and that's not always the case. I've been contacted by a number of constituents in suburbs in Kingsford Smith, including Coogee, Maroubra, Mascot and Kingsford regarding the installation of new mobile phone infrastructure by TPG. They're angry that they haven't been properly consulted either by TPG, or their representatives, during the planning process, particularly for contentious sites near homes and schools. There's been a failure of communication. In one instance, TPG's contractors began digging in a Coogee street before the required public consultation period had actually concluded.

Big telcos like TPG have an important obligation to our community as part of an industry code. The Mobile Phone Base Station Deployment Industry Code contains provisions relating to appropriate consultation when selecting new sites for mobile phone base stations. Some of these provisions seem to have been ignored. Installation works shouldn't be started before any community consultation has been concluded. Public consultations shouldn't be dismissed as a tick-and-flick exercise for the big telcos to do what they like.

I'm disappointed in the company's approach to our community and their engagement on an important issue. I made TPG representatives aware of my disappointment when I met with them in my office last Friday. I've heard from residents who say that TPG has been completely unwilling to come to their local community, sit down with locals and discuss alternative sites. It's clear there needs to be more local participation in the planning for new mobile phone base stations and greater transparency from TPG in our community. I've called on TPG to arrange an in-person community consultation with affected residents to explain why these sites have been chosen and to discuss alternative sites with our community. It needs to answer these questions and address the concerns of residents. It's time to establish trust with the people of Kingsford Smith.

I've also written to the Minister for Communications and the Arts on behalf of our community to formally express my concern at TPG's community engagement. I've also called on the minister to provide residents of Kingsford Smith with information that the department has used to determine that these developments are safe. At a time when TPG is looking to get bigger, through a potential merger with Vodafone, it shouldn't forget its obligation to our community and its obligation to consult.