Since the removal of 3G, the area of Low Head has low coverage to no coverage evidenced by an inability for remote reading of smart meters. Council has received multiple complaints.
Bridport Highway (for most of its extent) has no coverage at.
State or Territory:
QLD
Community Location:
Glenwood and surrounding areas, including Anderleigh, Neerdie, and Scotchy Pocket.
Description of community needs:
This area is a blackspot, presenting a safety issue for residents who are often unable to call emergency services. Glenwood is an extremely decentralised community, located 30 minutes drive away from the closest regional towns and emergency services.
Many residents report a drop in mobile coverage following the 3G shut down.
The majority of the resident population live on acreage and can be cut off for days when local roads are underwater during flood events. The proposal to improve coverage is supported by the Fraser Coast Regional Council, Fraser Coast Tourism, and the residents of Glenwood and surrounding communities.
Co-contributions:
• Willing to discuss potential co-contributions (financial and/or in-kind) with program applicants
State or Territory:
VIC
Community Location:
Barham River Road, Apollo Bay
Description of community needs:
Barham River Road, near Apollo Bay, links the coastal town with the hinterland, supporting locals, farmers, and tourists. Mobile coverage along this road is crucial for safety, especially in emergencies. It enables communication for businesses, farmers, and residents, providing updates and access to services. For tourists, it aids navigation and connectivity. The Local Community Fire Guard Group has advised that several properties lack mobile service, hindering urgent messages from the CFA. This proposal, supported by the group, requests an upgrade to improve safety and connectivity.
State or Territory:
VIC
Community Location:
Hotspur
Description of community needs:
Hotspur, located between Portland and Casterton along the Portland-Casterton road, is part of the Green Triangle and a vital freight route, with high-density plantations and vast farmlands. Mobile phone coverage is crucial in this region for efficient communication, especially for the timber and agricultural industries. It enables real-time coordination for freight operations, facilitates business and farming activities, and ensures safety in remote areas. Mobile connectivity enhances operational efficiency, access to services, and emergency response, supporting the area’s growth and sustainability.
State or Territory:
VIC
Community Location:
Mafeking 3379
Description of community needs:
The Mafeking Valley has long struggled with inadequate phone coverage, a problem that becomes especially critical during emergencies. In both 2006 and recent fires, the valley was one of the first areas impacted, acting as a vital defense line to prevent fires from spreading onto the plains. Unfortunately, poor mobile reception has consistently hampered communication, making it difficult for emergency services to coordinate effectively. Even after the recent fire on January 31, phone calls continued to drop out, disrupting essential recovery efforts, such as coordinating wildlife care, managing water deliveries, and organising fodder supplies.
State or Territory:
VIC
Community Location:
Yarra Junction
Description of community needs:
Yarra Junction, home to around 2,875 residents, suffers from unreliable mobile coverage, especially south of the Warburton Highway and Little Yarra Road. This impacts both residents and businesses that depend on consistent mobile access. With the area located on a floodplain, the risk of flooding from the Yarra and Little Yarra Rivers makes reliable phone coverage even more crucial for emergency responses and evacuations. Improved coverage is essential for both safety and local livelihoods.
State or Territory:
NSW
Community Location:
Carwoola
Description of community needs:
Carwoola is a growing community in regional NSW facing major challenges from unreliable mobile coverage, affecting daily life, safety, and livelihoods.
Limited connectivity hampers access to essential services like telehealth and e-commerce, and during emergencies such as bushfires and medical crises, reliable communication is critical for quick response.
Improved telecommunications would drive economic growth, enhance safety, and enable greater participation in the digital economy.
Despite past proposals, the community has been left behind. Delivering this overdue infrastructure is vital to bridging the urban-regional digital divide.
State or Territory:
VIC
Community Location:
Boweya, Mount Bruno to Glenrowan west.
Description of community needs:
Council is fielding a number of complaints on a regular basis from residents in the agricultural area stretching from Boweya to Glenrowan west, a strip running north to south along the western side of the Warby Ovens National Park. This is rich agricultural land where the topography may be suitable for a communications tower.
Residents have little, one bar at best, to no signal across the area. This is making it challenging for farmers selling stock or needing to conduct business out in the field away from WiFi services in the home. The area has also been subject to bushfires in the past which poses a safety concern.
Co-contributions:
• Willing to discuss potential co-contributions (financial and/or in-kind) with program applicants
State or Territory:
QLD
Community Location:
Bunya Avenue, Bunya Mountains Queensland / Proston and Boondooma Dam 40 Bushcamp Road, Okeden Qld 4613
Description of community needs:
The erection of two mobile phone towers in the South Burnett:
Mount Mowbullan (Bunya Mts) QLD-1505
[Regional Priority—South Burnett and Cherbourg] Bunya Mountains
Some limited coverage interspersed with sections of three carrier and two carrier black spots. Significant tourism area for South Burnett with active farming businesses along the affected route.
Boondooma Dam QLD-0528
[Regional Priority- South Burnett and Cherbourg] Boondooma Dam and surrounds.
Telstra black spot at the dam and black spot for Optus and Vodafone in sections from Proston.
Co-contributions:
• Willing to discuss potential co-contributions (financial and/or in-kind) with program applicants
State or Territory:
QLD
Community Location:
Dalby
Description of community needs:
Investigate possibility to improve the mobile service west of Dalby, from West of the Condamine river at Springvale through to Macalister.
Arrow Energy have made landholders in the area aware that they have installed significant fibre optic infrastructure that telecommunication providers could utilise.
