Mobile Phone Blackspots

Mr CREGAN (Kavel) (14:49): My question is to the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development. Can the minister update the house on how $10 million allocated in the state budget to address mobile phone blackspots will assist regional South Australia?

The Hon. T.J. WHETSTONE (Chaffey—Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development) (14:49): Yes, I can, and I thank the member for Kavel for his excellent question. I know that he has already made contact with me about the Brukunga, Piccadilly and south of Woodside areas of concern, that they don't have mobile phone reception. It's really important that here in South Australia this government has now acknowledged that there are issues with blackspot mobile coverage, unlike the previous government—three rounds of commonwealth funding and you never put your hand in your pocket. Never—because there aren't any blackspot funding issues in South Australia.

Just recently, I wrote a letter to every regional MP to ask them if they wouldn't come back to me with the issues of blackspots in their electorate. The majority of MPs in this place responded. There were four regional MPs who didn't respond. Do I name them?

Members interjecting:

The Hon. T.J. WHETSTONE: No, I won't name them. There is still time to write back to me and tell me where the blackspot issues are in your electorate—four of you. How many regional MPs are on that side? Four, exactly. Because there aren't any issues on that side maybe. There is still time to write to me and tell me. We have put $10 million on the table. We are going to leverage that money with the federal government. We have already spoken to industry, we've spoken to the telcos, we've spoken to local government. We are going to leverage our $10 million to connect South Australia with the business world, with the world of safety, with the rest of the world—unlike those opposite. Remember, we suffered a long time, over 16 years, for the neglect, because regions do matter.

Members interjecting:

The Hon. T.J. WHETSTONE: That's right, they do matter, and we need connectivity in the regions. Let me just explain to you. Over the last three federal rounds, there was money put on the table, and 867 base stations were deployed. In South Australia, we received 37. Shame!

Members interjecting:

The Hon. T.J. WHETSTONE: Shame! So on this side of the house, this government is going to prioritise the digital connection so that we can be competitive, so that we can actually do our business in our vehicles or in our tractors or in our trucks, and so that we can sell our grain on farm, so we don't have to report to the top of the hill to make a call, so we don't have to go home to make a call from our landlines. It's just outrageous. This government has a priority to regional South Australia—to remote South Australia—so that we are connected to the world, so that we can grow our economy, so that our farmers, our primary producers, are connected to the business world, so that we can grow our economy and create more jobs.

This is what it's all about. It's about governing for South Australia. The $10 million of Black Spot funding will be leveraged. The telcos will match those dollar-for-dollar contributions. We are going to put blackspot towers in place, and if the MPs want to respond to me so that when we do put that funding into place, yes, we will consider all blackspots within regional South Australia.