On October 3, the Albanese Government announced the outcomes of round 2 of the Peri-Urban Mobile Program, designed to improve mobile reception in areas on the fringe of Australia’s major cities.
There was one notable absence – Somerville.
Despite long standing issues with connectivity in Somerville, the Albanese Government has failed to allocate a single dollar to addressing the lack of reception in the area.
With residents unable to access internet banking, phone calls dropping out multiple times in a single call, and employees unable to work from home, the lack of reception in Somerville is profoundly affecting the lives of the 18,000 residents.
Zoe McKenzie MP, Federal Member for Flinders, in addition to a plethora of community and residents’ groups, made submissions seeking much-needed funding to address the black spot.
Of the 16 sites in Victoria funded by round 2 of the program, over 80 per cent fall within Labor-held seats.
This compares to round 1 of the program, which came out in 2022 under the previous Coalition Government, and included multiple sites on the Peninsula, in Rosebud, Rye, Merricks, Mt Martha, Main Ridge, Tuerong, Tootgarook, Sorrento, and St Andrews Beach.
David Livingstone, of the Somerville Business Group, commented that “small businesses in Somerville, many of which operate from home, are suffering from the dire lack of reception”.
Federal Member for Flinders, Zoe McKenzie MP, commented that she “won’t stop advocating on behalf of Somerville until it receives the funding it needs and deserves, to fix the mobile black spot.”
“I have met with all the major Telcos and written to the Minister for Communications, asking them to address the lack of reception in Somerville.”
“The Albanese Government is just not serious about connectivity for areas like Somerville.”
ENDS.
