Morwell electorate
Mr NORTHE (Morwell) (11:41): (1833) My constituency question is to the Minister for Jobs, Innovation and Trade. Minister, what is the latest information regarding the fixing of mobile blackspots in regional Victoria and specifically in the communities of Toongabbie and Cowwarr in the Morwell electorate? Residents of these towns have been frustrated for years by the lack of mobile phone reception, and this frustration has been compounded by a number of emergency events over time, including fires and floods. This includes a horrible event last week in which Cowwarr Primary School was destroyed by fire. Members of both the Toongabbie CFA and Cowwarr CFA have frequently raised concerns with me about this very issue. When an emergency event occurs or when one tries to conduct business in the town or on a farm and you do not have mobile phone reception—well, that is simply not good enough in 2020. I understand responsibility for these matters does not sit solely with the Victorian government, but on behalf of my constituents in the Toongabbie, Cowwarr and other communities in the Morwell electorate I ask the minister to work with the federal government and service providers to finally fix this extremely important safety issue.