Anthony McIntosh
Both Tourism Alliance Victoria and VECCI participated in the 2007-08 State Parliamentary Inquiry into Rural and Regional Tourism.
One of a total of 39 recommendations in the Committee’s Final Report was the recommendation that “the State Government encourage Tourism Australia and the newly-formed Regional Development Australia to ensure the extension of high speed broadband internet and mobile phone coverage to all areas of the State.”
Ahead of the 2009-10 summer and bushfire season, this issue has been raised by members of Tourism Alliance Victoria (TAV), in particular those located in the Otway Ranges, where there are a number of mobile phone “blackspots”; as well as The Nationals Member for Gippsland Darren Chester in a media release.
The pending implementation of the telephony-based warning system in early November again highlights the need to improve mobile phone coverage in regional Victoria. This system will only be successful if the appropriate infrastructure is in place. As many of the 52 high risk towns named by the Premier are located in the popular tourist destinations in and around the Otway Ranges, it is surely imperative that mobile phone coverage in this area be addressed urgently.
What’s your experience of mobile phone coverage in regional Victoria?
