Mobile Black Spot Program Round 8—Project Noticeboard

The community of Crossman has long advocated for a mobile phone tower to be built within their locality. The Albany Highway runs through Crossman and there is approximately 48km between a mobile phone tower at Bannister (North of Crossman) to the next tower located near the town of Williams (South of Crossman). This lack of service is concerning from an emergency management, economic development, and community perspective and the Shire is continuing to advocate for a mobile phone tower within Crossman and has identified it as a priority project with the Shire of Boddington Council Plan 2024 to 2034.

The mobile coverage issue in the Shire of Kent, specifically in the North-West Nyabing Townsite to Boongadoo Roads and North Fence Road, results in poor connectivity, affecting emergency communication, business operations, and community safety.

This area is prone to natural disasters, such as bushfires and storms, which exacerbate the risk of being unreachable in critical times.

Organisations like Telstra and the Shire of Kent support enhancing coverage for better disaster management and public safety, ensuring timely responses and service continuity.

The Northern sector of Kellerberrin Shire is a heavy black spot with no mobile coverage at all. This was evident during the major incident of 2024 wherein police were unable to communicate with a fugitive involved in a shooting or anyone else due to the black spot area.

Since the closure of 3G, the area of this black spot has increased to the point farmers are having to travel to particular areas of their own farm to receive signal to make or receive calls.

The black spot affects all and sundry as the technology involved in operating farms these days heavily relies on mobile signal.

The Waroona Dam is a popular area for visitors and locals during summer. The Waroona Dam is located in State forest and is at extreme risk of being affected by bush fire.

Unfortunately, the area has poor mobile phone coverage, which makes it difficult for emergency services to communicate in the area when a bush fire or other emergency is taking place.

The area has been impacted significantly in the past. In particular, the 2016 Waroona Bushfire burnt through the Darling Scarp and Waroona Dam.

Emergency services personnel reported communication difficulties then, and the mobile phone coverage has not been improved since.

Several localities within the Shire of Northam have limited mobile phone coverage. 

A number of these are located are within designated bush fire prone areas and communicating with residents and landowners regarding emergency situations is difficult.

In addition, a number of emergency responders that live in the area rely on mobile phone coverage for mobilisation to incidents which has the potential to impact response times and effectiveness.

Bridgetown Greenbushes WA. This proposal is to ensure we can contact agencies immediately to assist in dealing with the fire emergency, emergency crews are safe, and families evacuating can contact members of their families.

We propose:

• three Starlink portable units (first defenders) and one for the Forward Control Unit and;
• six fixed at 2 evacuation centres, 2 town halls, shire, the ICC, and SES.

Details: 
Unit cost $400 x 9 = $3,600
Installation @$150 per Unit = $1,350
Rental - 2 Monthly = $280 x 9 = $2,520
Case = $329 x 9 = $2,961
TOTAL = $10,431

Mobile phone blackspots in the Shire of Mundaring, particularly in areas such as Parkerville (as noted in the "Location"), Chidlow, and Wooroloo, pose significant risks and challenges. These black spots limit residents' ability to make general calls, contact emergency services, and receive critical telephone warning system messages during emergencies such as bushfires.

Furthermore, communication for emergency responders is often hindered, impacting their ability to coordinate effectively during crises.

Addressing these blackspots is essential to improve safety, ensure timely access to emergency services, and enhance overall communication.

Central area of Serpentine and Keysbrook, near Hopeland Road. This area forms a significant part of the Shire's primary product economy, with broadscale farming and animal husbandry creating significant output and income for the economy.

It is important to improve mobile data capacity to support the growth of these businesses, and to enable adaptation of autonomous technologies to stay competitive.

It is also an essential technology to address the extreme risk of bushfire in these communities, associated with the rural interface. 

Coordinates = -32.399456, 115.910200

Mundijong Road is a key enterprise and business activity arc, linking the AUKUS naval project area to key defence housing locations such as Mundijong, and the West Mundijong Industrial Area along the way.

There is a need for improved mobile data to support the significant movement of activity along Mundijong Road.

Further, the road is subject to significant high risk bushfire threat, being located along a rural interface with fringing communities all surrounding by high threat bushfire prone areas.

As a key road corridor used extensively by business, residents and broader community, it is a high risk area.

Coordinates = -32.294589, 115.943815

Opportunities exist within the City of Swan for improvements to mobile reception and coverage.

There are significant challenges to mobile coverage in the Swan Valley Tourism Precinct, running from Caversham to Upper Swan and centred on the suburb of Herne Hill.

Addressing these black spots will assist not only residents but also the many businesses and tens of thousands of visitors to the Valley each month.

Insufficiencies in mobile coverage around the Gidgegannup townsite are not only an impediment to growth but also present added hazards in emergency bushfire situations.

Karnup Road enterprise corridor. This corridor is a key link of business and residential activity between the freeway and SW Highway, creating a significant focus for business logistics and transport needed.

It is important to improve mobile data capacity to support the growth of these businesses, and to enable adaptation of autonomous technologies to stay competitive.

It is also impacted by severe bushfire risk, due to the extensive rural interface which exists. Coordinates = -32.363857, 115.933345

Sandstone is located 150 kilometres east of Mt Magnet and 150 kilometres west of the town of Leinster. This road is a major tourist and transport route between the northern Goldfields and the port of Geraldton.

There has been several deaths and numerous truck accidents on this road in the past 18 months. There is one mobile tower near this road close to the town of Sandstone.

This tower is subject to regular outages leaving no mobile coverage in the town of Sandstone nor on the 300 kilometres between Mt Magnet and Leinster.

What is required is at least one new tower for the town of Sandstone and two towers east and west of the townsite.

Continued poor coverage in Cardup, which is within proximity of some of the fastest growing suburbs in WA, being Byford and Mundijong.

As the fastest growing outer areas in metropolitan Perth and Peel, reliable and stable mobile data is not available as the urban front advances south in Byford, and opens up to the north in Mundijong.

It is essential to address this data need before development encroaches on the most suitable sites to house such infrastructure, and also to address the extreme risk of bushfire in this area. Coordinates = 32.25702° S, 115.95460° E

Opportunities exist within the City of Kalamunda for improvements to mobile reception and coverage. 

There are significant challenges to mobile coverage in the Perth Hills, including Pickering Brook. 

Addressing this black spot will assist residents and also act to address hazards in emergency bushfire situations.

Opportunities exist within the Shire of Mundaring for improvements to mobile reception and coverage. 

There are significant challenges to mobile coverage in the Perth Hills, including Wooroloo, Chidlow and The Lakes. 

Addressing these black spots will assist residents and also act to address hazards in emergency bushfire situations.

The area has significant coverage issues, black spots, dropouts and unreliable data that affect business operations and people traveling the highway. 
This area is bushfire prone and experiences extreme weather events and major road crashes.

The closure of the 3G network has worsened the coverage in this area. Residents and first responders have raised concerns that emergency communication via the mobile network could be compromised.

Shire of Manjimup has significant coverage issues, black spots, poor connectivity, dropouts and unreliable data that affect business operations and community safety.

Residents and first responders, have raised concerns that in emergencies they may be unable to contact authorities, receive mobilisation information and delay response times in these areas.

The region, which is 90% bushfire-prone, experiences extreme weather, power outages and damage, disrupting communication networks.

Closure of 3G has worsened coverage, particularly in the listed areas, with farmers who once had it, are now having to travel for better signal reception.

West Manjimup has significant coverage issues, black spots, poor connectivity, dropouts and unreliable data that affects business operations, tourism and community safety.

Residents and first responders, have raised concerns that in emergencies they may be unable to contact authorities, receive mobilisation information and delay response times in these areas.

The region, which is 90% bushfire-prone, experiences extreme weather, power outages and damage, disrupting communication networks.

The closure of 3G has worsened coverage, particularly in the listed areas, with farmers who once had it are now having to travel for better signal reception.

Shire of Manjimup has significant coverage issues, black spots, poor connectivity, dropouts and unreliable data that affect business operations, tourism and community safety. The closure of 3G has worsened coverage, particularly in the listed areas.

Quinninup is an isolated community 30 kilometres from the nearest townsite surrounded by an extreme bushfire hazard, with a large contingency of inexperienced owners of forested properties. It is also a tourism hub, leaving the area vulnerable from a telecommunications perspective in times of emergency.

This area is also subject to extreme weather events causing widespread damage and power outages.

Shire of Manjimup has significant coverage issues, black spots, poor connectivity, dropouts and unreliable data that affect business operations, tourism and community safety. The closure of 3G has worsened coverage, particularly in the listed areas.

Northcliffe is an isolated community over 60 kilometres from Manjimup surrounded by an extreme bushfire hazard, with a large contingency of inexperienced owners of forested properties and is also a tourism hub, leaving the area vulnerable from a telecommunications perspective in times of emergency.

This area is also subject to extreme weather events causing widespread damage and power outages.