Thursday, 9 June 2022

Connecting Victoria

Ms BURNETT-WAKE (Eastern Victoria) (18:20): (1980) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Innovation, Medical Research and the Digital Economy. The action that I seek is for the minister to prioritise the Dandenong Ranges when addressing the telecommunications issues as part of the Connecting Victoria program. The state government recently conducted its Connecting Victoria initiative by collecting information about connectivity issues across the state. The $550 million program intends to fast-track better mobile and broadband coverage in problem areas throughout Victoria. One of my constituents, Peter Brennan, saved the government a lot of time by collecting data from households and businesses about connectivity issues in the Dandenongs. Mr Brennan has been campaigning for stronger telecommunication infrastructure in the Dandenongs community since the Black Saturday bushfires in 2009.

From speaking to local emergency services, the issues with communications have not improved over the years. These communities are deeply concerned that we have not learned from the failings of the past. This proved to be true in the 9 June storms last year when telecommunications failed my constituents during an emergency once again. The government included Mr Brennan in their Connecting Victoria media release, making note of his work in data collection, but sadly that is as far as it went for the Dandenongs.

The government is yet to announce a full list of locations to receive telecommunication upgrades. However, the Connecting Victoria website lists 54 sites that have already been prioritised. Not one of these sites is in the Dandenong Ranges. In fact the entire Yarra Ranges LGA has been completely ignored. I have no doubt that telecommunication issues exist right across the state. However, many of the locations on that priority map are not fire prone or storm prone. They have significantly less risk of emergency, yet they are on the list of areas to be prioritised for connectivity upgrades. In this very week, this time last year, we had people trapped in their homes in the Dandenongs. They were cut off from help, not only by blocked roads but by a lack of phone reception. People could not call 000 and they could not call their local SES unit while they were trapped. My constituents felt like sitting ducks, and it is an absolute miracle no-one was killed. The ability to make a call can be the difference between life and death, not only in weather emergencies but also in family violence situations, when accidents occur and when elderly residents have falls.

The government may think weather disasters are rare, but the need for proper communication exists daily. I call on the government to prioritise the Dandenong Ranges for upgrades as part of its Connecting Victoria program. You have used Mr Brennan in your media release. You know what the issues are. Now it is time to actually deliver.