Mobile Black Spot Program Round 8—Project Noticeboard

Splitters Creek - patchy/no 4G coverage, high fire risk - supported by RFS and Telstra

Corowa South - capacity, flood risk - supported by Corowa Golf & Race Clubs and Federation Council 

Goombargana/Alma Park - capacity, fire/storm risk - supported by Greater Hume and Lockhart Shire Councils 

Wymah/Talgarno - patchy/no coverage, flood/fire risk, supported by Greater Hume & Towong Shire Councils

Pretty Pine - poor coverage, fire/storm risk, supported by Edward River Council and Telstra 

Barham East - poor coverage, flood/fire risk, supported by Murray River Council and NSWTA

Bylong Valley Way is firstly a key gateway between the Central West and Upper Hunter, serving residents, emergency services, council outdoor staff, other workers visiting the area, and travellers. Baerami also has a Rural Fire Service Shed and a Community Hall. The Baerami Valley is characterised by farm and tourism businesses which involves the movement of visitors unfamiliar with the area and vehicles moving livestock and farm supplies such as hay and fodder. The poor reception in these areas creates safety risks and disrupts communication. This nomination is supported by feedback from local residents and Council’s Operational Teams.

Optus users experience daily black spots along Forrest Road (between the highway and Callala Beach). No service in this area poses a serious safety risk, particularly for those traveling alone at night. This results in inability to call for help in emergencies and increased risk for night-time commuters. Mobile coverage should be improved along Forrest Road by upgrading existing infrastructure or installing new towers to enhance safety and connectivity.

The coverage in the Nelligen area is unsatisfactory. I am told there is currently 1 tower that cannot cope when there is a holiday in the area eg xmas/easter/long weekend and the population of this area swells and the tower cannot cope with the additional usage. This is a situation that needs rectifying especially with regard to the Kings Highway and the incidents that occur on the Clyde Mountain where there is no phone coverage. This black spot for phone coverage is a real concern.

Termeil, a small village in the Shoalhaven lacks any telecommunications coverage.

Residents in the area are forced to rely on their home internet service to make calls and text messages and lose connection as soon as they leave their home.

Residents are concerned for their safety and the safety of loved ones in the event that a fire or extreme weather event roles through, as they may lose outside connection.

There are many communities and roads in the New England and Upper Hunter regions, including these locations in the Glen Innes Severn Council area, where mobile phone coverage is limited, problematic or non-existent, creating major issues for residents and businesses, particularly during times of emergency. These regions are susceptible to natural disasters, including bushfires and floods, and mobile communications are of critical importance during these events.

I think Berry town would be a perfect location to benefit from this scheme.

I am frequently advised how poor the reception is in Berry. It is a decent sized town with many locals and tourists frequently visiting, but often has no reception. Many business owners complain about the issue, which causes challenges for paying by card, looking up maps and using QR menus etc.

I think it would make a big difference to peoples experience of visiting Berry if there was better reception.

There are many communities and roads in the New England and Upper Hunter regions, including these locations in the Muswellbrook Shire Council area, where mobile phone coverage is limited, problematic or non-existent, creating major issues for residents and businesses, particularly during times of emergency. These regions are susceptible to natural disasters, including bushfires and floods, and mobile communications are of critical importance during these events.

Rugby is located on the main road between Boorowa and Crookwell. This road is a major thoroughfare linking rural towns. This proposal is supported by the local RFS and first responders who have had to leave emergency situations to obtain mobile service to call for assistance. The township of Rugby has no mobile phone reception and being a rural township has had multiple bushfires impact the region.

Worsening coverage post-Kioloa 5G upgrade, with devices preferring weak 5G over stronger 4G, leading to more black spots. Poor reception along Bawley Point Rd (4km black spot) and Murramarang Drive, where dropped calls are now common. Severe congestion during holiday periods, making mobile service unreliable in emergencies, including bushfires. New infrastructure is required to improve coverage, reliability, and emergency preparedness in Bawley Point.

Telstra mobile reception along the Princes Highway (Batemans Bay – Mogo) is nearly non-existent, affecting Eurobodalla Botanic Garden (70,000+ visitors), Mogo Mountain Bike Trail, Deep Creek Dam, and essential travel routes.

Safety risk: No service for emergencies or hospital transfers. Business and tourism loss: Visitors struggle with navigation, payments, and communication.

Proposal: Improve Telstra infrastructure to enhance safety, connectivity, and support local businesses and tourism.

Constituent who lives at 6 Glasford Crescent, Kioloa and has quite a lot of issues with reception. They need to walk around the house trying to find the best spot to get a few bars. The service has improved a little since putting on the internet. Telstra advised them to turn on WiFi calling which has helped.

They advise there are quite a few elderly people around them and one gentleman in particular needs to come over and use my WiFi to get in touch with people. This isn't very safe. Holiday season is the worst time for lack of reception. The 2019/20 bushfires were so bad for mobile reception.

The current capacity for Bundarra is inadequate as confirmed by Telstra. In Telstra's own words:

"In preparing to switch off our 3G network, Telstra upgraded the 4G network so that they could be confident it would match the footprint of our 3G network. Our mobile base station that services Bundarra is delivering 4G to the community, but there is currently some congestion".

This has led to residents not having mobile signal, and not being able to use EFTPOS terminals, affecting businesses. This requires urgent attention.

This area is prone to bushfire disasters and is a key route between Armidale and Inverell.

Constituents had a house at Berrara for 25 years and in last 5 years retired to a new home in Berrara. During this time phone reception has been pathetic. It is quite common to see people walking down the road with phones above their heads trying to get reception. Constituents are connected to Telstra but without a functioning modem it is impossible to get reception on either landline or mobile phones. Constituents endure daily interruptions to television internet, computers, phones etc. Recently a storm took their modem down and they had to threaten Telstra with action to get a replacement as soon as possible.

Wybong is adjacent to the Mangoola Coal Mine and has a community hall. Wybong is characterised by mine traffic including the movement of heavy vehicles. Wybong Road is also used as a detour especially during severe weather events. Wybong also has some farms which involves vehicles moving livestock and farm supplies such as hay and fodder. The poor reception in these areas creates safety risks and disrupts communication. This nomination is supported by feedback from local residents and Council’s Operational Teams.

Mobile coverage at Hill End is limited and sporadic. There are 111 residents (2021 Census).

The Hill End community has a public school, police station, general store, hotel, Volunteer Bushfire Brigade, boutique accommodation providers, museum and camping grounds.

The public school, police station and RFS will all benefit from better connectivity, as well as the local business community.

Hill End is primarily reliant on tourism and phone coverage is a minimum expectation for visitors from major cities. Better connectivity is likely to help boost tourism in the area and will improve safety for residents.

Constituent has lived in Bomaderry and now reside in Old Erowal Bay, frequently traveling through the region. Reception in Bomaderry was so poor that constituent often had to take calls in the shower, the only place with a stable signal. 

Now, relying on the Tomerong tower, which serves Tomerong, Sanctuary Point (6,000+ homes), and beyond, constituent still experiences spotty one-bar service. Without NBN access, many residents depend on mobile networks for connectivity. Improving coverage is crucial for reliable communication and emergency access in these areas.

There is currently no mobile service in the village of Yantabulla. Given the remoteness of the village and it being the location of the Yantabulla Rural Fire Service shed, the need for adequate communications is a necessity.

There is currently no mobile service in the village of Fords Bridge. Given the remoteness of the village and it being the location of the Fords Bridge Rural Fire Service shed, the need for adequate communications is a necessity.

There are many communities and roads in the New England and Upper Hunter regions, including these locations in the Uralla Shire Council area, where mobile phone coverage is limited, problematic or non-existent, creating major issues for residents and businesses, particularly during times of emergency. These regions are susceptible to natural disasters, including bushfires and floods, and mobile communications are of critical importance during these events.