Martha HAYLETT (Ripon) (19:16): (538)

My adjournment matter this evening is for the attention of the Minister for Government Services.

The action I seek is for the minister to join me in my electorate to talk to communities about our Labor government’s incredible Connecting Victoria program.

So many rural communities across Ripon are waiting with bated breath for the new and improved mobile towers that this $540 million program will bring. Poor mobile reception and black spots are the bane of so many people’s existence in rural and regional Victoria, but now, after waiting forever for the useless federal Liberal government to do anything about improving the issue, our state government has stepped in to deliver where they did not.

The Connecting Victoria program will fast-track improvements to mobile and broadband connectivity through more than 1200 mobile projects and more than 180 broadband projects across Victoria.

In Ripon we are set to receive four new mobile towers in Ararat, two in Blowhard, two in Cardigan, one near Newbridge, Crowlands, Invermay, Napoleons, Mount Bolton, Ross Creek, Arnold, Bridgewater, Eddington and Learmonth, three near Sulky, one in Miners Rest, one in Talbot and six near Lucas, just to name a few. We will also benefit from improved broadband connections, including in Barkly, Landsborough, Lexton and beyond.

I would welcome the chance for the minister to visit my electorate and discuss this fantastic project with the communities that will benefit from it.