After more than a decade of frustration, the communities of Killcare, Wagstaffe and Pretty Beach have taken their battle for reliable mobile phone coverage straight to the Federal Minister for Telecommunications.
CCN has been following and reporting on this issue for many years.
Despite numerous attempts to secure a solution, residents continue to struggle with poor to non-existent mobile reception.
The Killcare to Wagstaffe Community Association sought a meeting through Member for Robertson, Dr Gordon Reid, and finally sat down with the Minister on Thursday, February 13, at Parliament House in Canberra.
Telecommunications Minister Michelle Rowland met with the small delegation, who made the trip to push for a resolution.
Michael Alsop, President of the Killcare to Wagstaffe Association, told the Minister that the lack of reliable mobile coverage posed serious safety concerns for both residents and visitors.
Emergency calls, daily communications and business operations remain affected by the ongoing connectivity issues.
A mobile phone tower, planned to improve reception, was initially approved by the Local Planning Panel but was later halted by the Land and Environment Court in 2023 due to technical objections raised by some locals.
The tower, which was to be attached to a council-owned water storage facility, was funded with $400,000 of Federal funding allocated in 2019 to Telstra and later Optus.
CCN now understands that due to long delays, the funding has been returned.
Optus has since lodged a new Development Application for the same site, with modifications aimed at addressing the previous concerns.
However, many in the community fear the application could meet the same fate as the previous DA, which was rejected in court on technical issues.
Optus has stated that alternative sites or small-cell technology solutions will not resolve the issue.
Meanwhile, former Member for Robertson Lucy Wicks, who successfully lobbied for the original Federal funding, has criticised the current MP, Dr Gordon Reid, for failing to inform the public that the funding had been returned.
“I find it outrageous that the community has not been told about this,” Wicks told CCN.
Residents of the Bouddi Peninsula remain determined to secure a permanent solution to this ongoing telecommunications failure and are currently encouraging locals to put in a submission to the new development application.
CCN will continue to follow the issue as it develops.
Previous articles
Killcare mobile phone tower rejected in Land and Environment Court (March 2023)
Labor pledges better mobile coverage for Mangrove Mountain, Killcare (March 2022)
Panel approves mobile phone tower for Killcare Heights (November 2021)
Decision on Killcare tower deferred (August 2021)
Association gives qualified support to mobile tower plan (February 2020)
Session to discuss Killcare mobile phone tower proposal (December 2018)
Association releases mobile black spot survey (January 2017)
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