Tuesday, 12 November 2024

Loddon Shire Council mobile phone coverage

Joe McCRACKEN (Western Victoria) (19:07): (1270) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Government Services. The people of Loddon have been let down by this Labor government. In the lead-up to the 2022 state election the now member for Ripon promised better mobile connectivity to the community. She said that a huge part of securing economic development for their towns rests on mobile connectivity, which is why the state Labor government is delivering Connecting Victoria, a $550 million project to boost connectivity to over 700 rural and regional sites. She said this project will unlock economic growth in the region by improving mobile connection and internet speeds in Inglewood, Wedderburn, Bridgewater and many other areas across the Loddon shire.

I note with interest that it has been less than two years and we have seen a monumental backflip on this important election commitment. Last month a community meeting was convened in Newbridge. Locals were frustrated at the lack of action by the state government in providing mobile internet connectivity. The office manager of the member for Ripon attended the meeting and read out a statement. In part it read that based on recent updated analysis she was then advised that the projects do not provide the direct mobile improvements they had anticipated. Basically what this means is that Labor have broken their promise to provide better connectivity to the Loddon community, but is anyone actually surprised by this? Labor do not care about country people, they do not care about regional communities and they do not care when they break promises. It is this smug, arrogant approach that characterises Labor promises. They are all full of fluff and bluster, but when the rubber hits the road nothing actually happens, so the action I seek from the minister is this: do something to fix connectivity in the Loddon shire area.

But instead Labor spend big on city-centric projects – $212 billion for the Suburban Rail Loop, and we cannot even get mobile connection in rural areas, let alone other broken promises. Where is the money promised for the old Beaufort Primary School? Nothing is there at all. Where are the improvements to the Western Highway? All we see are potholes. Country health services continue to suffer. CFA volunteers are deserting the service. You are even taxing people that are dying now – and dead. Locals continue to be slugged with tax after tax after tax after tax after tax. All Labor cares about is winning the election at any cost, and all Victorians pay for it. Well, one thing is clear: Labor only care about power, and they do not care about people, especially country people.