Peri-Urban Mobile Program Round 2 – Project Noticeboard

The Territory has established areas of concern for mobile coverage that inhibit policing, access to emergency services for bushfires and medical emergencies, and the monitoring of water supply. 
The northern suburbs of Canberra suffer from poor mobile coverage that inhibit responses for policing, and the regional areas that are increasingly used for recreation, generate a significant amount of emergency responses that are delayed due to poor communication capabilities that have recently been highlighted in a Coroner's report. Recent bushfires have also highlighted the deficiency of cellular access for Emergency Services in crucial areas. 

Our Village has 310 independent living Residents. We have difficulties with mobile phone coverage. Vodafone can be used through out the Village although at times the signal is week. Telstra and Optus only cover part of the Village which is an issue when a Resident moves to an area where they loose the signal. As we are all elderly and we rely on our mobile phone to maintain contact with family and friends and in an emergency we need better coverage.

Provision of telco solutions which increase visitor safety and enjoyment of significant precincts within the Ku-ring-gai Chase NP and support the community proximate to our National Parks. Where: The Basin (including Campground), West Head precinct, Illawong Bay, Bobbin Head and Apple Tree Bay. Mobile reception is extremely limited and weather/providers variable across these locations which are remote yet high use, and all of which are proximate to significant bodies of water, the limited mobile reception increases risks to visitor safety and can impact emergency response times. Mobile reception improvements are vital. 

The suburbs and communities that frame Pittwater do not have adequate mobile coverage with intermittent phone service and connectivity issues. Reliable mobile phone service is critical as these vulnerable communities are accessed by one road (in/out) with boat access only, may border a national park or live in aged care or retirement communities.

Supporting this project is Northern Beaches Council, emergency services covering several Rural Fire Service locations, Broken Bay Marine Rescue and the NP&WS.

The impacted parties have been invited to register a proposal including a number of Mackellar's Residents’ Association and Retirement Villages.

Our location is accessible by water only, and the existing lack of mobile phone coverage is debilitating to our way of life in every respect. Emergency calls, medical events & everyday communications at Great Mackerel Beach should be a community necessity in today’s world. Working from home, internet availability, and entertainment services should also exist for residents and visitors, as they do elsewhere in NSW. To think that we are 32 kilometres from Sydney CBD, and all of the above are denied to us due to lack of mobile coverage appears absurd. Please address this issue as soon as possible.

Access to mobile phones and data is crucial for residents, business owners, visitors and emergency response agencies in the Sutherland Shire LGA, especially in the identified suburbs due to their isolated and at-risk locations.

Along with over 5 million visitors annually to the Royal National Park, several outdoor programs and youth camp sites within these suburbs, the vulnerability of not having reliable mobile and data services to access up-to-date information and alerts increases, hindering situational awareness during escalating incidents such as bush fire and severe weather events, also hampering critical emergency response efforts.

These are specific areas requiring infill augmentation and not covered by known planned telco projects: 

Kurrajong - Robertson St downhill from the village; Katoomba-between High School and Cliff Drive; Medlow Bath - the village is served by towers located at Katoomba and Blackheath and an infill tower would improve coverage particularly on the northern side of the GWH.

Glenbrook GWH Lapstone Hill and Old Bathurst Road bends Blaxland East vicinity are both known dropout areas. 

Mobile phone reception and data access is critical for residents, small business owners and emergency services residing in or operating within the areas of the Berowra electorate. The suburbs primarily contain acreage properties in bushfire and/or flood prone areas with limited road access. It is also impacting on the ability of emergency services to respond to incidents in a timely manner and to coordinate their activities through the Emergency Operations Centre located at Cowan. Recent flood events in the Hawkesbury resulted in residents located in nearby remote communities going many days and often weeks without any mobile communication.

Mobile blackspots are a critical issue for the Pittwater Western Foreshore communities of Coasters Retreat, Great Mackerel Beach and The Basin.

The Medlow Bath Residents' Association has surveyed residents in Medlow Bath, NSW about their experiences with mobile coverage. The responses received revealed that mobile coverage in Medlow Bath is consistently unreliable with Wi-Fi reception and only 1 to 2 bars of only 3G service. Calls drop off with regularity regardless of weather conditions. The issues and limitations of mobile coverage are not limited to the house. Whether walking on any streets of high or low elevation, being in the park, waiting on the train platform, dining at PotBelly or the Hydro, mobile coverage and data usage is poor all over.

Mobile phone reception availability & reliability are key concerns for residents in peri-urban localities with the Northern Beaches LGA. Whilst close to Sydney, communities in the north of the LGA are particularly susceptible to mobile reception challenges & require improvements for amenity & public safety purposes. The proximity of these areas to Sydney means they are also frequented by tourists & recreational users visiting the adjoining national parks & waterways. Technology investment in these localities would provide support for residents, as well as agencies & emergency service providers which depend upon mobile coverage.

Mobile phone reception and data access is critical for residents, small business owners and emergency services residing in or operating within these areas of the Berowra electorate. The suburbs primarily contain acreage properties in bushfire and/or flood prone areas with limited road access. It is also impacting on the ability of emergency services to respond to incidents in a timely manner and to coordinate their activities through the Emergency Operations Centre located at the Hills District Rural Fire Service Office in Kenthurst.

Mobile Reception is a major problem in the key suburbs of Kenthurst, Arcadia, Annangrove, Dural, Galston & Middle Dural. These suburbs have black spots and households with reception service and quality problems. 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 and will connect expressions of interest with key community stakeholders who support these projects.

Telstra mobile phone coverage is intermittent or non existent even on the ridges. We are surrounded by National Park and in fire prone areas or Flame zones with only one ingress and egress road. There is a concentration of horse agistment and activities within the Rural Residential area. There are also 5 schools in the area. The area needs strong and consistent coverage. Good coverage is also important for The Duffys Forest Rural Fire Brigade. There have been reports of coverage dropping out at the Brigade building. Often the reception on 4G is only one bar or reverts to 3G as well as dropping out entirely at various locations.

RFS provides alerts and warnings via telecommunications infrastructure to residents and visitors in fire affected locations. Poor mobile coverage impacts the ability for community members to contact 000 and first responders to notify or provide further detail to incidents, remain informed via contemporary news or social media channels, receive critical alerts, and the RFS’s ability to notify / activate our members of hazards where they are required to respond. Focus areas include Scotland Island, Coasters Retreat, Elvina Bay, Lovett Bay, The Basin and Great Mackerel Beach. 

Mobile phone reception and data access are critical for residents, business owners and emergency services residing in or operating within these areas of the Mitchell electorate. The suburbs include a number of developing residential and light industrial areas located on the urban fringe of The Hills Shire where restrictions on access to these services is having a significant impact on new residents and businesses moving into these areas. It is also impacting on the ability of emergency services to respond to incidents in a timely manner and to coordinate their activities.

We’re home to quality bushland destinations. Extreme heat and accessibility see these accessed by our community, many with low outdoor skills and literacy. These destinations are also blackspots and in an emergency help can only be sought on foot or via mobile coverage away from the incident.

The Basin is a waterhole in the Dharawal National Park which in 2020 recorded 10,000 visitors. Visitation peaks in summer.

The Basin has recorded incidents where coverage was a significant factor leading to tragic outcomes and attracting media coverage.

By prioritising mobile coverage improvements in the Bayview locality in particular Rowland Reserve, we aim to facilitate seamless log-on and log-off experiences for boaters not only utilising the Marine Rescue NSW (MRNSW) app but access to weather specific website for pre-departure checks. This enhancement will streamline boaters ability to complete their own risk assessments prior to departure but also inform MRNSW of intended voyages and enable Marine Rescue Broken Bay to respond promptly to distress calls, thereby significantly enhancing public safety on the water and continue with our mission of Saving Lives on the Water.

Intermittent mobile phone reception is a major issue in Stockton. For many elderly residents of Stockton their mobile phone service is their lifeline and connection to the outside world and issues making emergency 000 calls have been reported. Mobile infrastructure is inadequate, and Stockton is reliant on transmitters based in Newcastle East, across the harbour.

Stockton needs good mobile reception for basic communications, for local businesses and for emergencies. Community organisations like the Stockton Community Group support projects to improve mobile reception.

Poor mobile reception impacts the Surf Club's ability to respond in a timely manner during rescue situations. This has an impact on the community, especially when lifeguards are off duty and the public need assistance. Fixing mobile reception at Soldiers Beach will help us respond promptly to distress calls, thereby significantly enhancing public safety on the water and continue with our mission of Saving Lives on the Water.

With the support of local Federal Member the Hon Emma McBride MP, as of 17/3/2024, 488 members of the community have signed a petition calling for improved mobile reception at Soldiers Beach SLSC.