The Hon. Kevin Hogan MP
Federal Member for Page
Shadow Minister for Trade and Tourism
MEDIA RELEASE
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Friday 27th October 2023
Labor Abandons the Northern Rivers Region
Federal Member for Page Kevin Hogan said Labor has given more proof that it had abandoned Northern Rivers communities and regional Australians, who need better telecommunications.
“Labor has funded no Mobile Black Spot programs in the Northern Rivers, despite many of these remote areas crying out for basic phone services,” Mr Hogan said.
“This is just another example that Labor doesn’t care about our regional communities and will continue to ignore their right to basic services.”
Round six of the fund was named the ‘Improving Mobile Coverage Round’, and promised to ‘implement the Government’s commitments to improve mobile coverage and quality of service at 54 target locations across rural, regional and remote Australia’.
Part of the criteria for this program is to equip regional and rural areas most effected by natural disasters with adequate telecommunications infrastructure. Our region needs to be equipped with telecommunications infrastructure that is reliable and accessible during emergency situations like bush fires and floods. Our region We have suffered from Australia’s biggest ever natural disaster. The Federal Labor Governments yet again, walked away from us and undelivered their promise.
“Labor has funded no Mobile Black Spot programs in the Northern Rivers, despite many of these remote areas crying out for basic phone services,” Mr Hogan said.
“This is just another example that Labor doesn’t care about our regional communities and will continue to ignore their right to basic services.
“We are also experiencing bushfires in our region right now, which makes this plainly outrageous.
“Labor Minister Michelle Rowland is using her discretion to leave out regional and rural communities because of partisan politics.
ENDS
Media Kevin Hogan – 0428 291 307
Caitlin Hellyar – 0407 701 234
