Mobile Black Spot Program Round 8—Project Noticeboard

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

The farming community north of Wantabadgery remains emotionally affected by a lack of mobile service from a social and business perspective. 

The erection of a new mobile communication tower within the village of Wantabadgery has not had the improvement promised and mobile reception for the adjoining rural community remains unchanged and inadequate. 

The area is subjected to rolling hills on the eastern side Wantabadgery Road in the localities of Wantabadgery and Eurongilly, and the western side of Wantabadgery Road in the localities of Wantabadgery, Claris and Jeralgameth.

Walcha continues to be plagued by poor mobile coverage across the LGA, in almost every location outside the township limits.

It is also not possible to maintain a signal along either of the two major transport routes that traverse the LGA—Thunderbolts Way that connects from Gloucester through to Inverell and Oxley Highway that connects the New England Highway at Bendemeer to the Pacific Highway at Port Macquarie.

While the Walcha LGA is sparsely populated, the lack of proper mobile coverage continues to be a significant risk factor for residents and travelers.

A small coastal village with a population of around 3,500 with many retirees, plus tourism is an important contributor to the local economy. Harrington has significant telecommunication issues, which is greatly exasperated during school holidays. The community are unable to make or receive calls, the internet is totally unreliable, businesses cannot use EFTPOS and citizens are unable to make triple zero emergency calls.

Natural Disaster risk examples include: 

• One road in/out scenario. 2019/20 Bushfires. The Village was threatened.
• The 2021 floods – The road was cut off by flood water for around 4 days.

Black spots within the eligible areas of suburbs of Kenthurst, Arcadia, Annangrove, Dural, Galston and Middle Dural are a significant issue within the electorate.

These black spots limit communication, which is particularly detrimental as the area is prone to bush fires. Further information can be provided on request which details key streets in these suburbs and specific issues.

Community organisations including the Hills Shire Council, Hornsby Council, Hornsby Ku-Ring-Gai RFS and The Hills RFS all support projects to improve mobile reception.

The Berowra electorate invites all organisations to get in contact.

In 2023 the Northern Rivers Joint Organisation undertook a major review. This report identified deficiency in infrastructure across the Tweed.

One of the major black spot areas in the Tweed that is within the eligibility areas for the Mobile Black Spot Program Round 8 is the Pacific Highway between Pottsville and Ocean Shores.

This section of the Pacific Highway (M1) is the most important transport link for the eastern seaboard with thousands of traffic movements daily.

The mobile reception black spot between Pottsville and Ocean Shores represents a serious communications issue. This is not only for communications but telemetry, data and EMS.

In 2023 the Northern Rivers Joint Organisation undertook a major review. This report identified deficiency in infrastructure across the Tweed.

One of the major black spot areas in the Tweed that is within the eligibility areas for the Mobile Black Spot Program Round 8 is the Tweed Valley Way—Crabbes Creek to Murwillumbah.

This is a major regional link between the Pacific Highway and Murwillumbah. It also includes the rural villages of Mooball, Burringbar, Crabbes Creek and Stokers Siding.

Across these urban centres there are over 10,000 residents. Most of the areas immediately surrounding this section of Tweed Valley Way have very poor to no reception.

Impacted severely in the 2019/2020 bushfire season Marlee, Killabakh and Bobin saw high levels of destruction, including properties and other vital infrastructure. The ability for communities to communicate between themselves and authorities continues to be lacking due to communication infrastructure damage. Continued residual and ongoing problems with mobile telecommunications access in these areas is a key risk which needs to be mitigated in preparation for potential future 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.

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.

Wymah is rural area situated in proximity to the Hume reservoir. The road through the area is increasing in popularity as a tourist route and the lack of telecommunications is an issue when accidents happen as it can be very difficult to contact emergency services. In addition, the lack of telecommunications in the area presents major concerns during bushfires. Addressing the blackspot at Wymah will not only benefit the local community it will also benefit the Victorian communities of Granya and Talgarno which are located on the other side of the Hume Weir and experience the same issues in relation to traffic accidents and bushfires.

The farming community in the areas of Yethella, Wallacetown, Downside, and Brucedale have limited or no mobile reception at all. 

The Olympic Highway which traverses this area is a major highway linking our regional area. 

Current signal strength limits the ability for public to report emergencies. Mobile coverage is essential to ensure public safety, and business prosperity.

Black spots and signal strength variation in some areas of the Southern Highlands are problematic for residents and visitors, especially during times of natural disasters and other emergencies.

Reliable communications services are essential for the reporting of emergencies and for the management of efforts dealing with disasters—such as floods and bushfires.

Wingecarribee Shire Council would consider exploring agreements for the use of its assets, such as water towers, as sites for the placement of telecommunication infrastructure that would provide improved services for residents, visitors and emergency service personnel.