Goulburn district residents will receive improved mobile phone coverage from new mobile phone towers to be built at Golspie, Tarlo, Windellama, Nerriga and Mayfield.

Federal Member for Hume Angus Taylor said 18 new or upgraded base stations would be built across Hume.

“After we mapped the electorate to show government and telecommunications companies where the black spots were and where to best locate new towers, Hume has done particularly well,” Mr Taylor said. 

“These towers will extend hand held or antenna coverage to local communities including Greenwich Park, Canyonleigh, Big Hill, Middle Arm, Mummel, Taralga, Tarlo, Towrang, Bannister, Breadalbane, Golspie, Fullerton, Laggan, Limerick, Peelwood, Roslyn, Bungonia, Bungonia National Park, Windellama, Oallen, Lower Boro, Boro Creek Valley, as well as to parts of Goulburn city.”

Resident Lloyd Turner from the Windellama Progress Association said the community was delighted with the news. "We're very, very happy. My wife's a Community First Responder with the Windellama SES and being able to be in reliable contact with people is so important. This is also going to help local businesses. We have the Windellama Small Farms Field Day in November and businesses are so disadvantaged when they can't use technology to make sales. Having a mobile tower will help the community a lot."

Mr Taylor said coverage would also extend along a number of roads and highway sections, including:

·         Crookwell Road – between Goulburn and Crookwell

·         Goulburn Oberon Road – between Goulburn, Taralga and Oberon

·         Goulburn Road – between Binda and Trunkey Creek

·         Oallen Ford Road – between Nerriga and Tarago

·         Range Road – between Bannister and Mummel

·         Sandy Point Road – intersection of Sandy Point Rd and Oallen Ford Rd

“In total, 74 of the 139 mobile black spots nominated in Hume will receive coverage via handheld phones or via an external antenna on the roof or car (or both). The total funding package to Hume is $10.41 million, including $2.76 million from the Federal Government under the Mobile Black Spot Programme.

“We will be dramatically improving mobile phone coverage across a vast area of the electorate and I am delighted to be able to share such good news,” Mr Taylor said.

He said in addition to the $100 million in Commonwealth funding for Round 1 of the national programme, a further $60 million had been announced for Round 2 of the Mobile Black Spot Programme, and Telstra had committed to build 200 new 4G mini base stations, to offer further opportunities to fix mobile black spots.