❓ Mr. Catania inquires about the progress of regional mobile communications tower construction and upgrades. The Minister details the project's scope, completed sites, benefits for emergency services and communities, and highlights the government's role in its delivery.
AnsweredQoN 492Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
REGIONAL MOBILE
COMMUNICATIONS TOWERS
492. Mr V.A. CATANIA to the Minister for Regional
Development:
I was pleased to see that the new
mobile communications tower was constructed in the Gascoyne Junction in time
for the Gascoyne Junction races this year. Can the minister update the house on
the government's construction and upgrading of towers in regional
areas?
COMMUNICATIONS TOWERS
492. Mr V.A. CATANIA to the Minister for Regional
Development:
I was pleased to see that the new
mobile communications tower was constructed in the Gascoyne Junction in time
for the Gascoyne Junction races this year. Can the minister update the house on
the government's construction and upgrading of towers in regional
areas?
AnswerView source ↗
I thank the member for North West
for the question. The regional mobile communications project has been a really
important and exciting project for regional Western Australia. Gascoyne
Junction, which is in the member for North West's electorate, was 177 kilometres
away from mobile coverage, which is not very good if one has a mobile in
Gascoyne Junction. However, it is good now because people's mobiles now
work. For a long time places such as Gascoyne Junction were just in a black
hole for mobile coverage. Obviously now we are so dependent on the internet
access we get through our phones as well, and this new tower enables that to
happen.
Gascoyne Junction is visited by a
lot of tourists. It is really important for road safety that people have access
to communications when they are travelling in regional areas. This mobile phone
tower helps with that as well. The project will cost $40 million over three
years. It is due to create more than 113 towers across regional Western Australia.
It is well leveraged with the private sector. So that members know, I will run
through the 23 sites that have already been completed. They are: Anna Plains in
the Shire of Broome, Armanda River in the Shire of Halls Creek, Arrowsmith
Exchange in the Shire of Three Springs, Arrowsmith Highway in the Shire of
Irwin, Bethwyn Rise in the Shire of Broome, Bibbin Well in the Shire of East
Pilbara, Breton Bay in the Shire of Gingin, Capel in the Shire of Capel,
Ellendale in the Shire of Derby–West Kimberley, Fisher in the Shire of
Roebourne, Gascoyne Junction, which we have just talked about, Jillan Ridge in
the Shire of Broome, McCann Well, Narembeen, Nullagine, Peedamulla in the Shire
of Ashburton, Rocky in the Shire of Halls Creek, Sandfire, Wagoe in the Shire
of Northampton, Walkaway in the City of Greater Geraldton, Warre Hill in the
Shire of Broome, Woottating in the Shire of Northam and Yeeda in the Shire of
Derby–West Kimberley. That is 23 new mobile towers that are up and
running and providing coverage. There are more than 80 to come over the coming
years, which will improve productivity and road safety in the regions, will
enhance delivery of emergency services and will be very, very important for
remote communities.
An article that appeared on the
front page of the Northern Guardian of Wednesday, 29 August made reference to the new communications tower at
Gascoyne Junction propelling the town into the twenty-first century. That is
welcome for that community, but, more importantly, the article reads, in part —
Emergency service groups have
welcomed the change, with the police saying it will help communications,
particularly in the event of an accident.
Acting Senior Sergeant Paul Kershaw
said the new towers being installed also had repeaters for police radios,
enhancing internal communications.
So, the police radio network will be
enhanced for all emergency services, and people's mobile phones now
work. That is one example, from Gascoyne Junction, about the rollout of the
regional mobile communications project. We will roll it out over 113 sites in
regional Western Australia, which will be a major improvement in communications
across the regions, improving road safety and improving access to the internet
for many, many people. It is a project that has been talked about for a long,
long time, but it took the Liberal–National government to deliver it.
for the question. The regional mobile communications project has been a really
important and exciting project for regional Western Australia. Gascoyne
Junction, which is in the member for North West's electorate, was 177 kilometres
away from mobile coverage, which is not very good if one has a mobile in
Gascoyne Junction. However, it is good now because people's mobiles now
work. For a long time places such as Gascoyne Junction were just in a black
hole for mobile coverage. Obviously now we are so dependent on the internet
access we get through our phones as well, and this new tower enables that to
happen.
Gascoyne Junction is visited by a
lot of tourists. It is really important for road safety that people have access
to communications when they are travelling in regional areas. This mobile phone
tower helps with that as well. The project will cost $40 million over three
years. It is due to create more than 113 towers across regional Western Australia.
It is well leveraged with the private sector. So that members know, I will run
through the 23 sites that have already been completed. They are: Anna Plains in
the Shire of Broome, Armanda River in the Shire of Halls Creek, Arrowsmith
Exchange in the Shire of Three Springs, Arrowsmith Highway in the Shire of
Irwin, Bethwyn Rise in the Shire of Broome, Bibbin Well in the Shire of East
Pilbara, Breton Bay in the Shire of Gingin, Capel in the Shire of Capel,
Ellendale in the Shire of Derby–West Kimberley, Fisher in the Shire of
Roebourne, Gascoyne Junction, which we have just talked about, Jillan Ridge in
the Shire of Broome, McCann Well, Narembeen, Nullagine, Peedamulla in the Shire
of Ashburton, Rocky in the Shire of Halls Creek, Sandfire, Wagoe in the Shire
of Northampton, Walkaway in the City of Greater Geraldton, Warre Hill in the
Shire of Broome, Woottating in the Shire of Northam and Yeeda in the Shire of
Derby–West Kimberley. That is 23 new mobile towers that are up and
running and providing coverage. There are more than 80 to come over the coming
years, which will improve productivity and road safety in the regions, will
enhance delivery of emergency services and will be very, very important for
remote communities.
An article that appeared on the
front page of the Northern Guardian of Wednesday, 29 August made reference to the new communications tower at
Gascoyne Junction propelling the town into the twenty-first century. That is
welcome for that community, but, more importantly, the article reads, in part —
Emergency service groups have
welcomed the change, with the police saying it will help communications,
particularly in the event of an accident.
Acting Senior Sergeant Paul Kershaw
said the new towers being installed also had repeaters for police radios,
enhancing internal communications.
So, the police radio network will be
enhanced for all emergency services, and people's mobile phones now
work. That is one example, from Gascoyne Junction, about the rollout of the
regional mobile communications project. We will roll it out over 113 sites in
regional Western Australia, which will be a major improvement in communications
across the regions, improving road safety and improving access to the internet
for many, many people. It is a project that has been talked about for a long,
long time, but it took the Liberal–National government to deliver it.
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