Federal Member for Hume Angus Taylor says a recent snapshot of Gunning district voters shows mobile phone and internet coverage and condition of roads are the main issues for locals this election.

Mr Taylor said his office had made more than 150,000 contacts with Hume voters – newsletters, surveys, phone calls, emails and doorknocking - since the election had been called in early May.

“We have had a strong response to the Hume Community Surveys, sent with newsletters to all 53,000 households in Hume. I have been really encouraged by the level of engagement from voters in the electorate who have taken the time to fill in surveys, to answer our phone canvassing calls, to open the door to our volunteer doorknocking team and to send in emails.

“I thank everyone for their feedback. This is exactly how I determine the issues that matter to local people, right down to street level,” Mr Taylor said.

Many more men than women have completed the surveys. Electorate wide the top survey issues (in order of highest number of responses) were:

Securing Australia’s borders / Building a strong economy / Improving healthcare / Building better roads

“After the feedback I have received from Gunning residents through phone canvassing and from my recent visits to the area, it is clear to me that good mobile phone coverage, internet services and the condition of local roads are still the main concerns for residents,” Mr Taylor said.

Last year 18 new mobile phone towers were announced for Hume under Round 1 of the Federal Mobile Black Spot Programme and the first of two NBN 'Sky Muster' satellites has been officially switched on.

“I have been working hard over the past three years to get these things fixed, and in Hume we are making good progress,” Mr Taylor said.

He said the Coalition Government had invested $7.6 million in roads in the shire through to 2019 via the Roads to Recovery program, $193,500 in black spot funding for Grabben Gullen Road and $28,000 for Collector Road.”