Fiona Phillips (Gilmore, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister for Communications. What progress has been made on delivering the Albanese Labor government's investments in regional communications, including for improvements in mobile coverage? Why is it important for the government to deliver on its commitments, and what approaches have been rejected by the government?

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member for Riverina is excited, but can just contain his enthusiasm, because I can't hear anything. I give the call to the Minister for Communications.

Michelle Rowland (Greenway, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the member for her question and I acknowledge her advocacy in this area. The Albanese government is delivering the most significant regional communications investment package since the inception of the NBN. We are investing over $2.2 billion in regional comms over the next five years, and that is a substantial increase on the coalition's budget of around $1.3 billion. We also committed before the federal election to addressing mobile coverage issues in a number of communities across Australia, based on feedback from councils, telcos and locals to Labor when we were in opposition. Many of those locations were in bushfire- and disaster-prone areas, such as the Blue Mountains and the South Coast of New South Wales.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Leader on the Nationals will cease interjecting immediately.

Michelle Rowland (Greenway, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

These are at-risk areas that had not been addressed by the coalition. They were our election commitments. We listened, we committed and now we are acting.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The member for Page will cease interjecting.

Michelle Rowland (Greenway, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In addition to these election commitments at 54 locations, there are a number of other programs contained in the October budget providing additional regional comms investment. Applications will shortly open for two programs making available $150 million of federal co-investment, including for mobile black spots. The government also committed $480 million for a major expansion and upgrade of the fixed wireless network of the NBN, benefitting around one million regional premises, and $1.1 million in NBN fibre upgrades for 660,000 regional premises. This includes freeing up additional satellite capacity and has enabled a trial of unmetered Sky Muster satellite access.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! The member for Wannon will cease interjecting.

Michelle Rowland (Greenway, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

These upgrades are proceeding apace. This is in stark contrast to those opposite. Their record on the NBN was a masterclass in economic and technological incompetence.

But what is most amazing is to hear those opposite complain about Labor's election commitments with a total lack of self-awareness about their own approach. In the priority round of the Mobile Black Spot Program under the coalition, you might wonder—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Deputy Leader of the Opposition will cease interjecting.

Michelle Rowland (Greenway, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

You might wonder, out of 125 priority locations—

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

The Leader of the Nationals is now warned.

Michelle Rowland (Greenway, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Communications) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

how many were located in Liberal and National seats. Out of 125, it was 124—99.2 per cent of the funding was driven to coalition seats. We will not be lectured to by this rabble, these mates of John Barilaro.

Opposition members interjecting—

They take inspo from Bara; that is what they do. They neglect regional Australia and they have the hide to complain about Labor meeting its election commitments and not fighting for their own constituents.

Milton Dick (Speaker) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Order! When the House comes to order, I'll hear from the member for Monash.

Russell Broadbent (Monash, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

After that, I'd better go quietly!