Wartook mobile blackspots: no guarantee

Residents met with Member for Mallee Andrew Broad, Member for Lowan Emma Kealy, Horsham Rural City Council and Telstra representatives on Wednesday to discuss mobile phone blackspots.

Wartook Valley missed out on a new phone tower in June, despite residents, politicians and council believing the area should be given the highest priority.

Brimpaen farmer Luke Dunn said discussions at the meeting revolved around what went wrong, why the region missed out and what strategies could be used going forward.

“It was positive and everyone at the meeting was in favour of getting a tower,” he said.

“Unfortunately we have been knocked back at a higher level.

“We have to make sure every box is ticked in the second round.”

Mr Dunn said even if a tower was funded, construction could be as far away as 2019.

“The area has been crippled by communication for many years and it came to head with the fires last year,” he said.

“I believe it will cost a life one day, if we don’t have decent phone coverage.

“It could be a tourist in the Grampians, a fire-fighter or a family member – it is a real possibility.”

Residents will now pin their hopes on a second round of federal government blackspot funding.

Laharum farmer Glenn Mibus said there was no guarantee the area would get funding in the second round.

“At the moment, nothing has changed and a lot needs to change before we get anything,” he said.

“The state government also needs to chip in some money and there is no guarantee they will.

“If we don’t get that money, there will be no tower and that’s very disappointing.”

Mr Mibus said the criteria for the tower was all money driven.

“The risk of fires and floods do not seem to count for much,” he said.

Wartook Valley resident Steve Price said residents were bitterly disappointed and felt they were being ignored. 

“There was an absence of anyone from the Country Fire Authority, Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, or any other emergency services at the meeting,” he said.

“The overwhelming issue I noticed was that residents felt like they had become the forgotten fires.

“During the fires last year, people called it the worst tragedy since Black Saturday.

“Yet we are being ignored and it appears our communications to Canberra will need to resort back to smoke signals.”

Mr Dunn said the construction of the Grampians Peak Trail also made phone coverage more essential.

“The government is pumping tens of millions of dollars into that, but without mobile phone coverage, it might not be a popular as people think.”