Lyne’s Black Spots in the Spotlight - Joint Release with Dr David Gillespie MP, Federal Member for Lyne

Mobile phone black spots in the Lyne electorate have been put in the spotlight today with the Federal Member for Lyne, Dr David Gillespie and the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Communications, Paul Fletcher MP, hosting a community forum in Wauchope.

Mr Fletcher is responsible for implementing the Government’s $100 million Mobile Black Spot Programme, which will improve mobile coverage along major transport routes, in small communities and in locations prone to experiencing natural disasters, as well as addressing unique mobile coverage problems such as areas with high seasonal demand.

“While the mid-north coast’s urban centres do have generally good mobile phone coverage, there are still many areas that have patchy, unreliable or non-existent coverage, and it is the Coalition’s intent to address these outstanding problem areas”, said Dr Gillespie.

“Today’s Forum is an ideal opportunity to personally advise the Parliamentary Secretary of the region’s mobile telecommunications priorities, which include the Oxley highway around Mt Seaview, and the North Haven and Comboyne areas, among others.”

“I have made submissions to the Department of Communications on these Black Spots, though it is very reassuring that Paul Fletcher can spend time in the Hastings Valley to hear first-hand from a range of constituents and community representatives as to exactly what needs to be done with the available funds”, said Dr Gillespie.

Mr Fletcher has been to over fifty community meetings around Australia to identify mobile coverage issues and to plan the roll-out of the Programme.

“The feedback I receive today will be very helpful as the Government considers the proposals we expect to receive, in coming months, from the mobile operators Telstra, Optus and Vodafone under the competitive selection process to determine which locations receive funding,”Mr Fletcher said.

“The Government expects to commence a competitive selection process in coming weeks, with a view to announcing the locations which have been selected for funding in the first half of 2015. The Government anticipates that the first base stations funded under this programme will begin to roll-out in the second half of 2015,”Mr Fletcher said.

“In emergencies, mobile phones are crucial, and business needs optimal telecommunications, so expanding mobile networks strengthens our regional communities,” Dr Gillespie added.