Bridget McKenzie (Victoria, National Party, Minister for Regional Communications) Share this | Hansard source

Thank you, Senator Gichuhi, for your question and for your advocacy for South Australia. We're delivering better mobile phone coverage through our $220 million investment in the Mobile Black Spot Program, unlike the Labor Party and the previous South Australian Labor government. Regional South Australians missed out, with only 37 of the 867 base stations funded under our program actually being located in regional South Australia. Fortunately for South Australians, things are changing for the better. At the federal level, the coalition is delivering on our commitment to improve mobile coverage, with a further $25 million committed to a fourth round of the coalition's $220 million Black Spot Program. But, now that there is a Liberal state government in South Australia, regional South Australians are in the box seat for better coverage, including the people in the seat of Mayo. The new South Australian Liberal government has committed $10 million to address black spots across regional South Australia, and I look forward to partnering with them. When I was walking the streets of Mayo with the local Liberal candidate, Georgina Downer, we spoke to small-business owners—owners of restaurants, cafes, travel agencies—about the importance of 21st century telecommunications infrastructure and what it means for their local businesses. Our commitment, combined with that of the South Australian Liberal government and a strong advocate like Georgina Downer being elected in the seat of Mayo, will mean that those regional communities will remain vibrant, sustainable and connected to essential emergency services and will use that increased digital connectivity to grow their local businesses and increase local jobs.