Victorians, including those in the Dandenong Ranges and Yarra Valley, have voiced their need for better mobile and broadband connections in an engagement report.
Minister for Innovation, Medical Research and the Digital Economy Jaala Pulford released the Connecting Victoria engagement report on Tuesday 1 February, which received more than 11,000 responses through Engage Victoria and more than 110 formal submissions.
Around 300 people attended 13 roundtables held across Victoria.
Mount Dandenong resident Peter Brennan has been campaigning for better connectivity for hills communities because of major concerns of telecommunication outages during storms and bushfires.
Mr Brennan has been interviewing local residents and businesses to collect data about connectivity to establish what services are available before submitting the information to Connecting Victoria.
The engagement report showed connectivity issues exist throughout Victoria, including the need for better support for residents working and studying remotely or receiving telehealth.
“I’m happy Connecting Victoria has stepped into the breach and that they are considering how to improve safety and emergency management,” Mr Brennan said.
“They have been very proactive in seeking community input and embracing local on-ground knowledge.”
The State Government said it will take the report insights into account and use it to form part of the decision making process for which locations will be upgraded in the future.
“Better connectivity creates enormous opportunities for jobs, boosts community safety and supports growth in some of our most important industries,” Ms Pulford said.
“We’re investing in new infrastructure where it is needed most to ensure more Victorians can reap the benefits of a thriving digital economy.”
The report can read at engage.vic.gov.au/connecting-victoria
