Victorians have voiced their need for better mobile and broadband connections to improve economic growth and community safety.
Minister for Innovation, Medical Research and the Digital Economy Jaala Pulford today released the Connecting Victoria engagement report, which received more than 11,000 responses through Engage Victoria and more than 110 formal submissions. About 300 people also attended 13 roundtables held across the state.
Peter Brennan, a resident on Mount Dandenong in outer Melbourne, has been campaigning for better connectivity for the ridge-top communities for years with telecommunications outages during storms and bushfires of major concern for locals.
Mr Brennan interviewed local residents and businesses to collect on-the-ground data about connectivity and build a true picture of the services available in the area before submitting the information to Connecting Victoria.
The engagement report shows connectivity challenges exist right across the state, including the need to better support those working and studying remotely, telehealth and improving service quality.
The Government will take into account insights from those who contributed to the engagement process and use it to form part of the decision making process for which locations will be upgraded in future.
The Commonwealth and telecommunications providers will also be encouraged to co-invest in the delivery of new infrastructure.
Locations to receive upgrades or new infrastructure will be announced throughout this year.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Innovation, Medical Research and the Digital Economy Jaala Pulford
“Better connectivity creates enormous opportunities for jobs, boosts community safety and supports growth in some of our most important industries.
“We’re investing in new infrastructure where it is needed most to ensure more Victorians can reap the benefits of a thriving digital economy.”
Quotes attributable to Mount Dandenong resident Peter Brennan
“I’m happy Connecting Victoria has stepped into the breach and that they are considering how to improve safety and emergency management. They have been very proactive in seeking community input and embracing local on-ground knowledge.”
Reviewed 01 February 2022