Barnaby Joyce said the local area will receive improved mobile phone coverage, if the Coalition is re-elected, as part of an additional $60 million commitment to extend the successful Mobile Black Spot Program announced on Tuesday.
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“New mobile base stations will be constructed at Copeton Dam, Fig Tree Hill south of Inverell, Kingstown and Baldersleigh, west of Guyra, providing benefits to emergency service operators, businesses, and residents,” Mr Joyce said.
“We have selected these areas because they have been overlooked by mobile network operators due to commercial factors.”
Mr Joyce said a re-elected Turnbull government will invite mobile network operators to bid for the funding to provide coverage from the four locations.
The lack of a mobile service at Copeton Dam has long been an issue for visitors and locals, and Inverell Mayor Paul Harmon welcomed the announcement.
“We’ve been working and campaigning for these towers for six to seven years,” Cr Harmon said.
“Just a couple of weeks ago, some young people were involved in a motor vehicle accident in a mobile black spot area and they had to wait an hour or more for another vehicle to come along. These towers will provide a significant improvement in safety.”
It could have been guaranteed within the budget, only two or three weeks ago, if it had been a line item.
- Tony Windsor
Copeton Waters Holiday Park manager Dave Allan said there were increasing numbers of visitors to the dam and a mobile service was vital.
“In the last four to five years we’re getting 80,000 to 90,000 visitors a year. Over Christmas and New Year we’re catering for 10,000 visitors,” Mr Allan said.
Independent candidate for New England Tony Windsor welcomed the news and said it was long overdue and pleasing to see. However, he was slightly cynical about the timing of the announcement.
“I imagine that the tower would be a promise, rather than a guaranteed delivery,” Mr Windsor said.
“And it could have been guaranteed within the budget, only two or three weeks ago, if it had been a line item. It would have been a certainty then, irrespective of who won government at the next election.
“Mr Joyce may have been sitting around for a couple of years on this issue, but he’s come home in the last weeks of the campaign in terms of delivering on this.
“The other thing that needs mentioning on this is that all of this black spot funding would never have come about had not Mr Joyce voted to sell Telstra. This money that’s out there now is because a commercial Telstra won’t fund these things.”
