Mobile Black Spot Program Round 8—Project Noticeboard

Proposed target location for improved coverage in its LGA is in the Maraylya area which adjoins the suburbs of Gables, Box Hill and Vineyard.

Those suburbs represent a significant part Sydney’s North West Growth Area which will result in a large increase in the residential population of that area and a corresponding increase in the demand for mobile telecommunication services.

In 2022, Lockhart Shire Council conducted a community-wide survey to evaluate phone and internet connectivity across the region. A total of 215 responses revealed significant issues with mobile reception.

Residents between Lockhart and Urana face severe connectivity challenges, reporting zero mobile reception.

The area's vulnerability to bushfires and flooding exacerbates the impact. Businesses cannot operate effectively without reliable communication infrastructure.

Full survey results are available from the contact provided.

Unreliable and poor mobile and internet reception. Even with a booster, even in good times the signal is week and unreliable. During school holidays with influx of people, internet is so slow it becomes unusable. 

The area has a relatively high rainfall, including summer storms with high wind. These cause havoc with mobile signal and with poorly maintained underground landline cables as recently experienced during the 2019/20 bushfires and the flooding event of 2021.

A recent survey by Gunnedah Shire Council identified widespread mobile connectivity issues in villages and rural areas, exacerbated by the 3G shutdown. Many residents report unreliable service, impacting emergency response, business operations, and education access for children.

One stated, “Every second counts in an emergency, but we can’t rely on our phones.” Another shared, “It makes it very difficult to conduct business, work effectively, or feel confident I can get help.” In a region where bushfires and floods occur, these gaps pose serious risks. Full survey results are available upon request.

Worsening mobile signal, which started before the closure of 3G (and has subsequently has not improved ) including residents with zero signal is vital for the community. Back up landline increasingly unreliable during wet periods. 

Much of the road from Bandon Grove to Dungog no longer has mobile signal. 

The area is very exposed to serious bushfires that emanate from the adjoining Chichester State Forest. Also located adjacent to the Chichester River and low-lying roads flooding is a major issue with access to and from the area frequently cut.

Proposed target location for improved coverage in Wentworth Shire Council area town of Pooncarie. Limited coverage from Pooncarie to 40 kilometres south for a very small area then nil coverage to Fletcher's Lake Road.

No phone service to call an emergency. Limited coverage for properties and business to report emergencies.

The Riverina electorate is susceptible to natural disasters, notably floods, fires and severe storms. A regional area, the Riverina is dependent on telecommunications for accessing support services.

Telecommunications play a vital role in managing and mitigating the impacts of natural disasters in the region. Its effectiveness influences emergency response, recovery efforts and community resilience.

Community feedback has identified locations in need of improved coverage to ensure reliable and efficient responses during natural disasters, foster quicker recovery efforts and enable a better prepared and more resilient community.

Bulahdelah, the Pacific Highway and nearby areas are some of the busiest traffic corridors in NSW. Outside of holiday periods residents of Bulahdelah describe the coverage in town as being 'patchy' at best. During holiday periods service often to drops to levels where small businesses cannot operate. A small business owner who works from home recently reported typical internet speeds of between 0.1mbps and 2.0mbps during the Christmas 2024 period. These areas are highly susceptible to fires and floods, in recent times residents were cut-off for 3days and mobile coverage dropped out more than once.

Installation of a tower and telecommunication facilities at Minjary on the Gocup Road. This location currently has no phone coverage.

The area is prone to fires caused by lightning impacting the area.

Additionally, the Gocup Road is a major haulage route with BB-Doubles carting to and from the area, including livestock, produce and timber industry product.

The Riverina electorate is susceptible to natural disasters, notably floods, fires and severe storms. A regional area, the Riverina is dependent on telecommunications for accessing support services.

Telecommunications play a vital role in managing and mitigating the impacts of natural disasters in the region. Its effectiveness influences emergency response, recovery efforts and community resilience.

Community feedback has identified locations in need of improved coverage to ensure reliable and efficient responses during natural disasters, foster quicker recovery efforts and enable a better prepared and more resilient community.

The vicinity of Kurmond Road and Tennyson Road, Kurmond. Perhaps this gap could be covered by a network provider co-locating on the nearby nbn tower RFNSA https://www.rfnsa.com.au/2754004.

Wee Jasper, a remote community in NSW, faces persistent challenges due to poor mobile phone reception. The lack of reliable coverage disrupts daily activities, hinders access to telehealth and digital services, and isolates residents from vital communication networks.

In emergencies like bushfires or medical incidents, the absence of dependable mobile service poses serious risks. Investment in modern telecommunications infrastructure is essential to safeguard lives, foster economic development, and close the connectivity gap that continues to disadvantage this remote community.

The Riverina electorate is susceptible to natural disasters, notably floods, fires and severe storms. A regional area, the Riverina is dependent on telecommunications for accessing support services.

Telecommunications play a vital role in managing and mitigating the impacts of natural disasters in the region. Its effectiveness influences emergency response, recovery efforts and community resilience.

Community feedback has identified locations in need of improved coverage to ensure reliable and efficient responses during natural disasters, foster quicker recovery efforts and enable a better prepared and more resilient community.

Residents and visitors face severe connectivity challenges in these areas, reporting weak to no service across home and business locations. A survey conducted by the Harrington and Surrounds Business Association concluded that communications during emergencies and natural hazards, including reliability, resilience, speed, and coverage were not suitable.

The frequency of issues is daily, worsening during peak periods, having a detrimental impact on the local economy. With an older age demographic, availability of service is critical. The areas are subject to flooding and bushfire, with road accessibility limited in some areas as well.

Proposed tower site is 151º15’30”E, 29º20’55”S. This site will serve Pindari Dam with an estimated 30,000 visitors annually. The tower would provide coverage north of the dam serviced by the Ashford to Emmaville Road, the Severn River Valley west of Pindari Dam and surrounding areas, being an area with an estimated population of 200 plus visitors to Pindari Dam recreation area.

This area has little or no existing coverage. Current annual agricultural production in the proposed coverage area is valued at $30 million.

Installation of a tower and telecommunication facilities in the Bondo Camp (Bondo Forestry Headquarters) on the Brindabella Road. This location currently has no phone coverage.

Bush fires in this area would have a serious impact on the forestry industry as shown in the Black Summer Fires. In these fires telecommunication was severely impacted for extended periods of time.
 

Proposed tower site is 151º32’40”E, 29º48’45”S. This site will serve the Gwydir Highway from a point 23 kilometres east of Inverell to a point 53 kilometres east of Inverell (14 kilometres west of Glen Innes) uninterrupted and will serve the township of Wellingrove, the villages/localities of Sapphire, Kings Plains, Kingsland, Elsmore, the Danthonia Bruderhof community and the Swanbrook and Kings Creek and Wellingrove Creek.

Other areas covered would be Ilparran, Matheson, Maybole and Tingha to Guyra Road. An estimated population of 1,600.

Carwoola is a growing community in regional NSW facing major challenges from unreliable mobile coverage, affecting daily life, safety, and livelihoods.

Limited connectivity hampers access to essential services like telehealth and e-commerce, and during emergencies such as bushfires and medical crises, reliable communication is critical for quick response.

Improved telecommunications would drive economic growth, enhance safety, and enable greater participation in the digital economy.

Despite past proposals, the community has been left behind. Delivering this overdue infrastructure is vital to bridging the urban-regional digital divide.

The installation of a 4G and 5G base station on a new 25 meter structure at Broken Hill's Racecourse is supported by event managers and local residents.

This project aims to resolve connectivity issues affecting major events like Agfair, St Patricks and Silver City Races, which impact trade operations such as EFTPOS and bookmakers. The lack of coverage also raises community concerns during emergencies.

Additionally, the Racecourse serves as a campground and accommodation site before and after the Mundi Mundi Bash leaving visitors without reliable coverage during their stay.

The mobile reception is critical for residents, businesses, emergency services and the public, who travel through the Hume electorate using major thoroughfares linking regional towns to wider Sydney.

There are many new developments and a large influx of new residents who haven’t experienced natural disasters at these locations. These locations have been impacted by bushfires. 

The corridors of Montpelier Drive/Silverdale Road from Lakesland to Wallacia. The localities of Werombi, Thirlmere, Lakesland, Mount Hunter and Oakdale. Additionally, Picton Road from Wilton to Mount Ousley. These thoroughfares are key corridors for evacuations.