Mount Tomah Mobile Tower funding finally gets the green light

The residents of Mount Tomah are celebrating the fact they are finally going to receive improved mobile phone coverage, with the Government approving $623,775 for a new mobile site in the area.

The Telstra macro mobile site will offer improved mobile voice and data coverage in Mount Tomah and along a nearby section of the Bells Line Road.

The Federal Member for Macquarie, Susan Templeman, welcomed the announcement saying  “I’m so sorry residents have had to wait for 7 years for this funding to finally be guaranteed.  The previous government announced funding for a tower at Mount Tomah in 2015 but the plan was switched to Gollan, near Dubbo, four years later.

“Families and communities in regional areas are too often relying on out of date digital infrastructure. This upgrade will certainly make day-to-day life easier for the community, help people driving through the area, and in the case of a natural disaster or emergency will provide an essential lifeline for residents.

“I want to thank the community for their efforts to get this funding sooner – they met with me and my then Shadow Minister and now Communications Minister, Michelle Rowland, supported me when I spoke about it in Parliament on many occasions, and continued to offer support and suggestions on how to get the previous government to listen.

“I’m also grateful to the support from the Blue Mountain Rural Fire Service and Blue Mountains Council who could see how vital it was to fix this mobile black spot. This funding reflects the commitment of the current Government to support communities so they are better prepared to face natural disasters.”