Michelle Landry (Capricornia, National Party, Shadow Assistant Minister for Manufacturing) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Collinsville residents have been calling for reliable telecommunications, not as a luxury but as an essential service that is frankly overdue. With a poor response from the Minister for Communications to my correspondence regarding this very issue, I visited Collinsville with a Telstra representative so that they could hear from the community directly.

At this public meeting, I listened as locals shared their frustrations, anger and even fear about the lack of mobile coverage. For them, this isn't a minor inconvenience; it is a crisis. Locals who live in constant fear for loved ones with serious medical conditions know that, in an emergency, they may not be able to call for help. There are small businesses who's to day-to-day work is impacted, affecting their bottom line, while community nurses who provide care to Collinsville's most vulnerable are unable to complete their paperwork on the ground with their patients. Imagine being in that position. Imagine the frustration. This would never be tolerated in our capital cities, so why should it be acceptable in regional Australia?

Following this meeting, with promises for an upgrade to their telecommunication tower sometime this financial year, I made an urgent appeal directly to Telstra's CEO, asking her to prioritise this essential upgrade. The response I received was both frustrating and disheartening. Rather than committing to resolve the ongoing issues, these pleas were missed citing a lack of funding for much-needed improvements. In response to my letter, Telstra stated that, while it has plans to improve mobile performance in the Collinsville area, it simply doesn't have the funds to make it happen right now.

Labor often boasts about record spending on regional telecommunications, yet here we are: one of the major telecommunication providers in this country claims they can't afford to deliver these essential upgrades. This reveals a disturbing disconnect between what the government says and what is actually being delivered. Rural and remote communities like Collinsville are sick of hearing about promises of funding that never seemed to reach them. Let's be clear: this is not just about phone calls; it's about safety. It's about the security of knowing that, in an emergency, help is just a phone call away. It's about accessing essential services, staying connected with loved ones and having the dignity of knowing that rural Australians are as valued as those in our cities.

I'm not willing to accept this complacency. I refuse to let Collinsville be left in the dark. This fight is far from over. I will be contacting the Minister for Communications again and I will not stop until she finds the funding she so often speaks of. My constituents deserve better than vague promises, or worse yet, the suggestion that they simply switch to a different provider—as was the advice given by the minister's office.

To the people of Collinsville: I hear you and I am standing with you. I will continue fighting until we see the action you deserve.