General News
18 March, 2024
Mid-year connectivity plan date
RELEASE of a digital connectivity plan for Loddon Shire has been pushed out to mid-2024 after talks decided to merge telephone and NBN aspirations into one document. Council’s tourism and economic development manager David Stretch has told...
RELEASE of a digital connectivity plan for Loddon Shire has been pushed out to mid-2024 after talks decided to merge telephone and NBN aspirations into one document.
Council’s tourism and economic development manager David Stretch has told councillors in a new quarterly report that the draft connectivity plan to identify key threats and opportunities in digital connectivity as an economic and community enabler had been completed. Mr Stretch said there had also been discussions with NBN to promote upgrades to fixed wireless services in Loddon Shire, as well as notifying business and community of associated outages.
“Now (it has been) agreed that Telstra, NBN and Loddon Shire economic development will merge all connectivity plan work into a single document by mid-2024,” he said.
Mr Stretch’s report to council’s February meeting came just a fortnight before Emergency Services Minister Jaclyn Symes was questioned in Newbridge on Friday about State Government plans for improved mobile connectivity in the district that was promised in 2021 but not expected to be delivered until 2026.
Ms Symes said that telecommunications was predominantly a Federal Government issue “that the state has in the past delved into out of desperation”.
She also said Parks Victoria and catchment management authorities were reviewing whether signage in high-risk camping areas could be improved. Crown land river camp spots along the Loddon River do not warn campers of poor mobile connectivity that could hinder receiving emergency alerts.
Ms Symes said she was unaware if the issue had been flagged around Newbridge but hoped a new phone tower would fix reception.
Symes says pressure
on telco for backup
TELCOS needed to provide more information on their backup plans when power supplies failed, Emergency Services Minister Jaclyn Symes said on Friday.
Ms Symes said the telcos needed to say more on their mitigation plans and backup generators. She said a question for telcos to answer was: “Where are your options for making sure that this community can rely on the service they are paying their bills for.”