Mobile Black Spot Program Round 8—Project Noticeboard

Cotter and Casuarina Sands; Tidbinbilla National Park/Reserve District; Tharwa and Naas Road have little to no mobile coverage. Each location is prone to natural disaster - a high risk of bushfire. Cotter and Casuarina Sands are additionally subject to flooding, and at other times being increasingly popular swimming, camping and recreation areas have generated a number of emergency responses that have been delayed due to lack of mobile communications.

Installation of a tower and telecommunication facilities. This location currently has no phone coverage. The area is prone to fires caused by lightning impacting the area.

Additionally, this area is a major haulage route with BB-Doubles carting to and from the area, including livestock, produce and timber industry product.

In 2022, Lockhart Shire Council conducted a community-wide survey to evaluate phone and internet connectivity across the region. A total of 215 responses revealed significant issues with mobile reception.

Bidgeemia residents face severe connectivity challenges, reporting weak mobile reception. Key feedback included:

"Mobile phone connection is less or nil with more black spots (nil coverage) and dropouts or no connection."

The area's vulnerability to bushfires and flooding exacerbates the impact. Businesses cannot operate effectively without reliable communication infrastructure.

Full survey results are available from the contact provided.

In 2022, Lockhart Shire Council conducted a community-wide survey to evaluate phone and internet connectivity across the region. A total of 215 responses revealed significant issues with mobile reception.

Wrathall residents experience significant connectivity challenges, especially after the phase-out of 3G. Key comments included:

• "A reliable phone service is essential for medical reasons."
• "Mobile phone coverage is very patchy."

The area's vulnerability to bushfires and flooding exacerbates the impact. Businesses cannot operate effectively without reliable communication infrastructure.

Full survey results are available from the contact provided.

In 2022, Lockhart Shire Council conducted a community-wide survey to evaluate phone and internet connectivity across the region. A total of 215 responses revealed significant issues with mobile reception.

Milbrulong face long-standing connectivity issues. Survey respondents highlighted:

• "Reception is unreliable."
• "We rarely get more than 1 bar; service used to be better."

The area's vulnerability to bushfires and flooding exacerbates the impact. Businesses cannot operate effectively without reliable communication infrastructure.

Full survey results are available from the contact provided.

In 2022, Lockhart Shire Council conducted a community-wide survey to evaluate phone and internet connectivity across the region. A total of 215 responses revealed significant issues with mobile reception.

Tootool residents face severe connectivity challenges, reporting weak mobile reception and inadequate internet options. Key feedback included:

"We are in a black spot with no mobile service or NBN fixed wireless coverage."
"Signal strength decreased after the 5G upgrade."
"There’s no mobile service for calls."

The area's vulnerability to bushfires and flooding exacerbates the impact. Businesses cannot operate effectively without reliable communication infrastructure.

Full survey results available from the contact provided.

Mobile phone reception in the northern Central Coast and southern Lake Macquarie is essential for residents and businesses as well as visitors to the area. 

Reception in our community has been notoriously patchy and a source of significant frustration for locals.

The Gwandalan-Summerland Point RFS is located within this area so quality, reliable mobile phone reception is essential for them as well as residents in times of emergency.

Mobile reception is critical for residents, businesses, emergency services and the public, who travel through the Hunter electorate using major thoroughfares such as the Pacific Highway and the M1 Motorway.

There are many new developments and a large influx of new residents who haven't experienced natural disasters at these locations. These locations have been impacted by bushfires in the past.

Main roads that are impacted are Wyee Road, Rutleys Road and Hue Hue Road.

The installation of a tower at Central West Industrial Park (CWIP) will provide 4G and 5G coverage within a 6 kilometre radius, benefiting various sectors including the CWIP precinct, Central West Livestock Exchange (CWLE), the Newell Highway (serving emergency services and roadside workers), future solar farms, the Inland Rail construction (Stockingbal to Parkes), and the Back Yamma mountains.

The location is in a flood-free area, and the local council has received multiple letters of support from businesses seeking reliable coverage in the region.

The tower will enhance socio-economic and safety outcomes for the community.

Improving mobile black spots in Coalcliff is vital for enhancing community safety and connectivity.

With the region's rugged terrain and coastal location, reliable mobile coverage is essential for emergency services to operate, particularly during bushfires, severe weather events and severe health emergencies.

Connectivity in the suburb for residents, visitors and commuters is abysmal. The South Coast rail line is a major commuter corridor for Illawarra workers, and black spots make commuter travel frustrating and impractical for workers.

It is also greatly frustrating for residents who have to rely on Wi-Fi and are often left without access.

The greater Yamba area, a growing regional coastal community with a significant resident and visitor population, is experiencing persistent mobile connectivity challenges, including outlying areas of Angourie and Wooloweyah.

Poor mobile reception affects daily communication, public safety, and economic opportunities, particularly during natural disasters such as flooding and bushfires.

Reliable mobile connectivity is critical for emergency services, local businesses, and residents who depend on mobile networks for essential services. Yamba Community Action Network Inc. strongly supports any proposal to improve mobile coverage in the area.

Local residents and visitors are experiencing ongoing poor/nil cell phone reception in Angourie, Wooloweyah, nearby popular surfing spots and Yuraygir Coastal Walk through Yuraygir National Park.

It is a busy area especially during holiday times. A possible fatal outcome could occur if there was a shark attack, near drowning, snake bite or a cliff fall.

Also, bush fires loomed towards Angourie and Wooloweyah in 2019 and flood events occurred in 2022, highlighting the lack of cell phone coverage in these areas in the case of an emergency.

Mobile network coverage needs improving significantly along the Castlereagh Highway from Mudgee to Lithgow which has a history of being impacted and closed by bushfire activity, flash flooding and landslides in severe weather events.

Many locations along this section of Highway (approximately 120km) don’t have mobile coverage, and this exacerbates the significant risk of natural disasters on lives of residents and visitors.

The Highway runs directly along the western side of Windamere Dam and sections of Cudgegong River. Mudgee to Lithgow will benefit from new and improved mobile network coverage projects to help ensure safety.

Installation of a tower and telecommunication facilities. This location currently has no phone coverage. The area is prone to fires caused by lightning impacting the area.

Additionally, this area is a major haulage route with BB-Doubles carting to and from the area, including livestock, produce and timber industry product.

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.

Mobile reception is critical for residents, businesses, emergency services and the public who travel along Nelson Bay Road from Salt Ash to Anna Bay. It is especially busy during holiday times.

Natura Port Stephens at Bobs Farm - a over 55s community has been advocating for better mobile reception for over 12 months. Concerns have been raised about reporting medical emergencies.

Mobile coverage is very limited along Buchanan Road, Buchanan to Mount Vincent Road, Louth Park.

This road is a major thoroughfare linking our regional area and is direct route to Maitland Hospital and the NSW Rural Fire Service.

Mobile phone reception is critical for residents, businesses, and emergency services. Nelson Bay Road is the main thoroughfare linking Port Stephens to Newcastle.

The section of road from Williamtown to Fern Bay is an unlit 100 kilometre per hour stretch that has multiple accidents and requires mobile coverage for safety reasons.

The residents of Fullerton Cove and Fern Bay have been advocating for better mobile coverage since 2016.

Continuous mobile coverage for Thunderbolts Way from Uralla to Inverell. This is a heavily used traffic route between these towns and is an important linking road if the New England Highway is closed. 

It will also see a drastic increase in vehicle movements when the New England Renewable Energy Zone commences. Lack of mobile coverage is not acceptable in this location.

Willow Tree suffers from poor mobile phone coverage, limiting the capacity of businesses to operate in an increasingly digital world. 

The Willow Tree Public School is at risk of isolation through flooding, so mobile coverage is essential to ensure quick communication.