Mobile Phone Blackspots

Mr TEAGUE (Heysen) (14:39): My question is to the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development. Will the minister advise the house on how the state government will address mobile blackspots in regional South Australia?

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order, members on my left! Minister for Primary Industries.

The Hon. T.J. WHETSTONE (Chaffey—Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development) (14:39): Thank you, sir. I will answer this question with pleasure—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER Order!

The Hon. T.J. WHETSTONE: It is something that this government, coming into the previous state election, committed to regional South Australia to address: the deficiency that the previous government ignored in regional South Australia for 16 long years. As a regional MP, I know only too well what it is like to live without mobile phone reception, what it is like to do business without digital reception.

The previous government ignored the blackspot funding initiated by the commonwealth government: round 1, no action; round 2, a little bit of action; round 3, not much at all. Out of 867 towers, South Australia got 37. Shame! It is an absolute disgrace.

Mr Duluk interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for Waite is called to order.

The Hon. T.J. WHETSTONE: Regional South Australia was once again put out into the cold. What I can say is that last week South Australia had a visit from the regional communications minister, the Hon. Bridget McKenzie. The federal government came over to make the announcement, alongside me, to bolster the $10 million with the remaining $25 million commitment from the federal government—a $220 million blackspot program. Where was the previous government on that program?

Honourable members: Nowhere.

The Hon. T.J. WHETSTONE: Nowhere. I am proud to say that I stood alongside Senator McKenzie to bolster our $10 million commitment, this government's commitment to regional South Australia. With the $25 million, the terms and conditions will be drawn out over the next eight weeks, I understand, but it is critically important that this government has now recognised how important regional South Australia, the connection, is to the digital era.

For too long we have seen a digital divide here in this state between metropolitan and regional South Australia. I know that to be competitive, to be able to do business in today's world, you do need digital connectivity. As a business, whether you are sitting in a tractor or sitting in an office, you need to be able to connect to your markets. You need to be connected to your market infrastructure, your market data, to make sure you can take advantage, that you can be globally competitive.

Again, the $10 million that this government has put on the table is an example of our commitment to regional South Australia, and I am absolutely delighted that we will now work with the federal government—in an adult way—to leverage that money. It is not only through federal money; we will look at local government, we will look at industry, we will also look at the telcos to make sure that we can leverage the maximum amount of money for those regional blackspots in South Australia.

Some of us know that there is new technology with blackspots around South Australia and nationally. We look at some of the small cell technology, we look at existing infrastructure. It is not just about building new towers. It is not just about putting up new infrastructure around South Australia. It is using the existing infrastructure that is there—as an example, grain silos; as an example, emergency services towers; as an example, small cell technology. That is something that is critical to this connectivity, this blackspot funding, to make sure that regional South Australia is connected to the business world, that it is connected to be able to grow jobs, to build our economy.

That is something that those on the other side just do not understand, how important it is that 28 per cent of this state's population generates 50 per cent of the state's merchandise exports. That is critically important. For the member for Lee, who doesn't quite get it, he should understand that regions matter.