By JOHN VAN KLAVEREN
CORANGAMITE MP Sarah Henderson has stepped up her pressure on Geelong’s City Hall to come to the party on mobile phone black spots.
The Independent reported earlier this month that City Hall had rebuffed her call for council contributions to a federal fund for improving mobile phone coverage.
“I’m disappointed the City of Greater Geelong has washed its hands on any responsibility to help deliver better mobile phone coverage across our region,” Ms Henderson said this week.
“The issue of mobile phone black spots, such as those in Armstrong Creek and Ocean Grove, is one which the City of Greater Geelong needs to tackle.
“It is an issue it can do something about and should so something about.”
Ms Henderson said 17 councils in Victoria had already offered in-principle support for contributing to the $100 million federal mobile black spot fund.
“The reality is that federal money alone will only go so far. So again I call on the City of Greater Geelong to make a co-contribution to the fund.
“It’s so important that all levels of government work together and step up to provide better communications infrastructure where it’s most needed.”
Ms Henderson continued her battle with Telstra and other telecommunications companies over the issue, saying their efforts to date were “not good enough”.
City Hall maintained that telecommunications was not a local government responsibility.
A spokesperson last week said community master planning of the Armstrong Creek growth area would ensure infrastructure provision maintained pace with demand growth.
The City had nothing further to add, the spokesperson said.
