Dan Tehan (Wannon, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Immigration and Citizenship) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

One of the great things I've been able to achieve with the community in my time as the member for Wannon is over 40 new mobile telephone communications towers. That has really improved telecommunications services right across the electorate. But, with utter dismay, my constituents are now reporting that that telecommunications network has shrunk because the government has completely botched the dismantling of the 3G network. It means you can no longer get coverage in places where you used to get coverage.

We've been out right across the community and asked the community where this impact is being felt, and the list is long: Apollo Bay, Colac West, Hawkesdale, Inverleigh, Mafeking, Pomonal, Woolsthorpe, Yambuk—and the list goes on and on. I say to the government: please speak to the telecommunications providers. Find out what has gone wrong with your dismantling of the 3G network. You told the community that this would not have an impact on telecommunications services right across Australia. Your botched handling of it has, and you need to act to fix it.