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Legislative Council - Fifty-Fifth Parliament, First Session (55-1)
2025-11-26 Daily Xml
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Limestone Coast Mobile Phone Tower Project

The Hon. J.E. HANSON (15:10): My question is to the Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development. Will the minister provide the chamber with an update on the progress of the Telstra Limestone Coast mobile phone tower project?

The Hon. C.M. SCRIVEN (Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, Minister for Forest Industries) (15:11): I thank the honourable member for his question. Mobile connectivity in our regional areas plays a crucial role in driving economic development, improving access to essential services and enhancing quality of life for regional residents. Investment in statewide digital connectivity underpins the aspirations of our government's economic statement, and reliable mobile networks are essential to a state that is smart, sustainable and inclusive, with an economy that is fit for the future, improving the wellbeing of its residents.

Connectivity is essential to ensure all South Australians can access the services they need and benefit from economic growth. Businesses across the state also need access to voice and internet connectivity to run their businesses, whether that be taking payments and bookings or managing their operations using emerging technologies, such as sensing and automation in remote agricultural locations.

This state government, along with the federal Albanese government, has made an investment of $25 million to install 27 new mobile base stations across the Limestone Coast. I am advised that this will be the largest co-investment project Telstra has ever put together in South Australia and one of the largest nationwide. The project has funding from all three tiers of government and from local industry, who see the benefit to improving connectivity in the Limestone Coast.

The funding deed for this historic investment was executed earlier this year and work is well underway to have the 27 new mobile base stations running as soon as possible. This is occurring in four stages. The first stage is the design stage, where Telstra designs the specifications of the sites. Once this is complete, Telstra applies for all the necessary approvals, including by lodging development applications and negotiating agreements with the landowners.

Then the construction phase commences. Once construction is complete, optimisation occurs, where Telstra ensures that the sites are operating to their specifications. Telstra have advised that their intention is to have all 27 sites built by Christmas 2026, with the first site on track to be completed by the end of this year.

This investment is set to add some 2,400 square kilometres of additional 4G coverage, which is a 44 per cent increase in the landmass covered by 4G. It will increase wireless broadband and data sharing capabilities and will provide additional 000 connectivity, including for users of other networks. Access to 000, of course, particularly in remote areas, is vital to the safety of residents and travellers.

The project will enable more efficient and effective communication and monitoring in the many industries that make up the Limestone Coast, including forestry, dairy, agriculture, wine and wool. It will provide better services to tourists, improve access to health services and improve safety, as I mentioned, with the increased access to 000.

The project was developed in close consultation with local councils, the South Australian Forest Products Association, Primary Producers SA, Grain Producers SA, the South Eastern Professional Fishermen's Association, RDA Limestone Coast, and the South Australian Country Fire Service. I look forward to seeing the continued investment and progress on this vital initiative, which is critical to the future development of the Limestone Coast region, and I thank all of those who have been involved with this project so far.

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