Rebekha Sharkie (Mayo, Centre Alliance) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Poorly maintained copper services are a regular complaint in Mayo. High rainfall erodes ageing infrastructure, and, in many places, the bushfires has destroyed it.

I'm concerned that the copper network damaged in the recent fires in my electorate will not be repaired to the standard we can expect from the $297 million subsidy paid to Telstra to deliver landline services. I have constituents who had landlines damaged in the 2015 Sampson Flat fire who were still waiting for permanent repairs as recently as October last year. This cannot be repeated. We understand fire damage takes time to repair, but to have no landline service and poor mobile phone service is causing enormous distress. Trying to explain that problem to overseas call centres adds to the distress, as do promises of satellite phones that have never arrived.

These issues need to be addressed. My office has made every effort to assist constituents. I will say the local Telstra and Optus teams have been diligent. I'd like to thank Mark Bolton from Telstra for providing timely information. I'd also like to thank to Kym Morgan and Jill Bottrall from NBN for bringing free satellite wi-fi to Cudlee Creek and then to Kangaroo Island, where various sites remain. All these services have made an enormous difference to the connectivity of these fire affected communities. It takes time to recover from bushfires, but, as we rebuild, let's do this better.