MEMBER for New England, Tony Windsor, met with approximately 70 residents and members of the Wellingrove Progress Association to discuss their need for a mobile tower on White Rock Mountain, between Glen Innes and Inverell.

These residents presently have no mobile phone signal and as the area is not considered to be a high usage mobile area, the various telecommunications companies are not prepared to invest the money required to build the tower and supply power for their mobile transmitters to be erected upon.

This scenario is being repeated in many smaller country communities across Australia where residents are being left in the dark when it comes to mobile communications.

This issue was first identified last year when Mr Windsor met with the residents of Yetman where the lack of mobile phone services was impacting on community members and emergency service organisations.

This is when Mr Windsor first raised the proposal of a “Regional Powered Tower Program”.

Mr Windsor proposes that the Government provide the basic infrastructure so that the telecommunications companies only have to pay to have their equipment installed and possibly a small lease fee to cover the maintenance costs of the tower. Mr Windsor said, “the Government guaranteed equity of access to telephone and broadband services and we must demand that the Government delivers on this guarantee. The Regional Powered Tower Program could help deliver this guarantee and also encourage competition with all telco’s able to utilise the tower for their mobile and broadband services.

The residents of Wellingrove moved a motion at today’s meeting that the Regional Powered Tower Program concept be pursued by Mr Windsor as a possible solution for the Wellingrove area.

“I congratulate Peter Smith for organising the rally today and look forward to raising this important issue with the Senator Stephen Conroy and the Australian Government” Mr Windsor said.