Labor has pledged to invest $1.5M to improve mobile coverage in Matcham-Holgate and Wyoming if elected to government on May 21.
Member for Dobell, Emma McBride, and Shadow Minister for Communications, Michelle Rowland, made the promise this week, saying quality mobile coverage is not a luxury or a nice-to-have – it’s essential 21st century infrastructure.
McBride said Matcham-Holgate and Wyoming were pockets of the Central Coast which have been plagued with poor coverage for years, leaving people at risk during extreme weather events and natural disasters.
“Locals need fast, reliable connections so they can access the information they need when they need it and so they can stay safe,” she said.
Labor will also commit $140,000 to upgrade the Yarramalong mobile tower to a 12-hour back-up battery and install an on-site diesel generator.
This will improve service availability and resilience if power to the tower is temporarily lost.
The NBN plan will also deliver a boost and expand fibre access to an estimated 32,000 more homes and businesses on the Coast, including in Lisarow and Forresters Beach.
Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) technology can deliver speeds up to 14 times faster than copper with far fewer dropouts and more reliable connectivity.
“We expect nearly 7 in 8 homes in the copper NBN footprint to have full-fibre access by late 2025, with nearly half getting access by late 2023,” Rowland said.
“Labor believes the next decade should be one where Australia makes things here again.
“A key element of our Future Made in Australia plan is a reliable, high speed NBN so Australians can seize the economic opportunities before us.”
Source:
Media release, Apr 19
Member for Dobell, Emma McBride