Politics & Council
19 June, 2026
Oh, the irony! Blackspot town in the spotlight
SMALL towns are usually overlooked ... not a lot people to worry about and barely a change in their voting patterns over the decades.
SMALL towns are usually overlooked ... not a lot people to worry about and barely a change in their voting patterns over the decades.
In the modern world of politics, the effort goes into the big cities - think the outer growing suburbs of Ballarat that are now almost 50 per cent of the Ripon electorate enrolment.
So, it was refreshing that the State Government chose Newbridge to last week unveil projects to be funded in the third round of its Tiny Towns program, communities of less than 5000 people that are still part of Victoria’s fabric and usually contribute much more to the state’s economic production per person than larger centres.
But there was an irony in the location. Newbridge along with parts of nearby Laanecoorie and Tarnagulla are notorious mobile phone blackspots.
New Regional Development Minister Mikaela Settle shared to smiles with Ripon MP Martha Haylett announcing the Tiny Towns fund.
It was a bit different when questioned on why places like Newbridge are promised solutions but still miss out on the stability of telecommunication stability experienced by people living 15 or 20 minutes away on the outskirts of Marong, the Bendigo suburb destined to be the next blooming booming burb.
Ms Settle said the State Government had a strong commitment to regional towns but that telecommunications was a federal responsibility.
That had not previously stopped the State Government stepping in with a commitment back in 2024 only to see it back away from its vow to improve mobile phone connectivity in southern Loddon districts.
The bombshell revelation came on an October night in 2024 when more than 60 people filled the Newbridge hall to vent their blackspot frustration.
Better mobile phone coverage for Newbridge had been promised in 2022 with the Government committing to finishing work by 2025. But Jarrah Storey, office manager for Ripon MP Martha Haylett, read a statement that said: “Based on recently updated analysis, I am now advised ... projects will not provide the direct mobile improvements we anticipated.”
Ms Haylett’s statement said that completed projects at Bill Hill, near Kangaroo Flat and Wilsons Hill and a proposed Marong tower had initially been expected to “bring improved connectivity to Newbridge”.
Ms Haylett’s statement said she had raised concerns with the State and Federal Governments. “I will continue to fight for better mobile reception across the Loddon Shire, especially from the Federal Government.”
Last week, it was again Ms Haylett who tried to fly the flag to improve telecommunications in the district.
“The Victorian government did a $500 million commitment of the Connecting Victoria programme because nothing was happening for 10 years under a Liberal National government federally, to actually bring telecommunication upgrades to the regions we know that we missed out ... here in Newbridge ... with that programme.
“And I am continuing to work to try and make sure that we can get that into the future.”
“I am determined to get mobile reception for this community. It is not good enough, We need to bring this community into the future with better mobile reception.”
It was a more direct response than the minister: “In terms of my regional development portfolio I am focused on regional communities and expanding them. I don’t have within my portfolio a communications budget.
“It (portfolio) is really about getting jobs and growing communities into the regions, so that’s where I’m focused.
“What we do, as our enabling infrastructure is bring things in so, for example, we’re working with the Bendigo industrial zone at the moment, that’s about making sure that that infrastructure is there to grow those jobs.”
People filling some of those jobs just up the road might just like to live in the beautiful river town of Newbridge.
Surely, good mobile and internet connection is key to enabling infrastructure and developing regional (rural areas).
Read More: Loddon Shire