Wednesday, 31 July 2024

 Luba GRIGOROVITCH (Kororoit) (19:15): (748) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Government Services. The action I seek is for the minister to provide an update on the investments the Victorian Labor government have been making to deliver mobile broadband and wi-fi infrastructure in my electorate of Kororoit through the Connecting Victoria program. We know that Connecting Victoria is fast-tracking more reliable mobile coverage and faster internet across the state, not only for work, study and leisure but also for accessing information and keeping in touch with loved ones during an emergency. The Victorian Labor government has delivered over 600 connectivity projects across the state, including over 230 mobile towers, which have been upgraded from 4G to 5G for faster data and network efficiency. Over 200 mobile towers in bushfire-, flood- and storm-prone areas have had battery backups installed, allowing people in affected communities to stay in touch with loved ones and access information during extreme weather. Over 100 broadband projects have been completed, benefiting more than 75,000 businesses and homes.

Currently in my electorate of Kororoit we have residents only 30 kilometres from the CBD of Melbourne with little or no mobile coverage. Whilst these residents are not considered to be living in regional Victoria, they are in fact living in the fastest growing area in Australia. Residents in Rockbank, Mount Atkinson and the Grandview and Olivia estates currently have little to no mobile coverage. Connectivity is important, as we all know, at the best of times but especially in emergencies. Residents have reported having issues when calling emergency services, with phone calls dropping in and out, the call being disconnected or even having trouble connecting to emergency services to begin with. The Australian government has the primary responsibility for ensuring that telecommunication services are adequate, and this Victorian Labor government is investing in telecommunications infrastructure to fill the gaps. As a Labor government we have always advocated and will continue to advocate for new and upgraded telecommunications infrastructure. I look forward to receiving the minister’s response so I can share it with my dedicated Kororoit community, who I look forward to continue working with, supporting and of course advocating on behalf of.