Federal Member for Gippsland Darren Chester is calling for more money for telecommunications in the aftermath of the bushfires in East Gippsland.
Mr Chester said he was concerned by how many Gippslanders completely lost connection during high risk bushfire activity days.
“Gippsland has had a difficult start to the year and there has been a real strain on our telecommunications, especially for those in isolated and fire-affected areas,” Mr Chester said.
“In times of crisis, the ability to communicate and receive information from emergency services is vital.
“We have invested in blackspot funding across the region, but there’s more to be done.”
Mr Chester said he had raised his concerns with Federal Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts Paul Fletcher.
“I have written to the Communications Minister and reiterated the necessity for additional telecommunications funding in the aftermath of the bushfires,” Mr Chester said.
“We need to keep investing in the resilience of telecommunications infrastructure and eliminating blackspots.
“During this bushfire season there has been collaboration between government, telecommunication services and emergency services to ensure that, when impacted, services were reinstated as quickly as possible.
“This has been a mammoth effort, but one that doesn’t just stop once the fires are extinguished.”
