A hard-fought campaign for mobile phone coverage at Blackwood is finally making headway with Moorabool council last week granting Telstra a planning permit to build a tower in the town.
Earlier this year, Blackwood was named as one of several areas to be allocated federal government funding from the mobile blackspot program.
The town had previously been identified by the state government as an area at high risk of bushfire.
Telstra won the rights to build the mobile phone tower, estimated to cost about $200 million, with almost half to come from the federal government.
Telstra’s general manager for south-western Victoria, Bill Mundy, said the telco was thrilled to be able to alleviate long-held community concerns in the Blackwood area.
“We have to remember the community has been lobbying for improved mobile phone coverage in Blackwood for many, many years,” he said.
“We’re absolutely thrilled to have the announcement by federal government, but it’s an even bigger thrill that we’ve got the planning permit through.”
Construction to start soon
Mr Mundy said construction would start as soon as possible, and he hoped the tower would be finished before the end of the fire season.
“It’s a heavily vegetated area,” Mr Mundy said.
“So, certainly, mobile coverage added to that community is going to help that community in their ability to communicate should an emergency arise at some stage.”
He said Telstra had been working with the community for several years with the view of building a tower in Blackwood, but it had proved economically unviable.
Council chief executive Rob Croxford said Blackwood was the first Victorian town to have a mobile phone tower approved under the blackspot program.
“Fundamentally, [mobile phone coverage] is a service that should be available to anyone,” Mr Croxford said. “But if there’s a fire in Blackwood, how are you going to alert people – particularly tourists?”
Mr Croxford said the council was pleased the investment was going into the regional town to accommodate for its growing population.
The mobile phone tower will be built at 35 Byers Road, near the Blackwood cemetery.
Moorabool towns Ballan, Elaine and Greendale have also been identified as locations in need of better mobile phone coverage.
