Telecommunications woes

AVictorian Farmers Federation Wimmera Branch meeting has put the state of telecommunications in rural Victoria under the spotlight.

Branch president Graeme Maher said members had been frustrated by a lack of mobile coverage and internet connectivity in their areas, particularly as it related to Federal Government requirements surrounding superannuation payments to employees.

Mr Maher said a requirement for businesses to pay employees’ super contributions via a web-based Superannuation Clearing House service had caused havoc for people living in rural areas.

The Lubeck farmer said many branch members, himself included, did not have the level of internet connectivity required to make web-based payments.

“How can you work a cloud-based system when you can’t make a phone call?” he said.

“I can’t ring anyone on my landline at the moment – my landline is down.

“I have to drive 15 or 20 minutes to find a spot with decent mobile reception, and with the internet connection I’ve got it takes me two minutes to watch a 30-second Youtube clip.

“Yet we are expected to fulfil all the obligations of superannuation and pay as you go, but we can’t because we haven’t got reception.

“If they go and enforce those rules on us, wouldn’t it be reasonable for them to make sure we’ve got reception before they do it?

“We get into trouble for not following the rules they set out, but we can’t because they haven’t provided us with the telecommunications systems to do it.

“It’s like a black comedy, but it’s a serious issue. That’s the privilege of doing business in the country.”

Earlier this month Member for Mallee Anne Webster was one of five federal Liberal-nationals MPS to release a joint statement praising the progress of the government’s $380-million Mobile Black Spot Program.

In the statement Dr Webster said communities across Mallee were able to ‘connect to family, friends and markets more reliably than ever before’ as a result of the program.

But Mr Maher said it was far from the case for many farmers in the Wimmera.

“I’m in one of the supposedly better areas,” he said.

“From where I live in Lubeck, I have to drive to within a kilometre of the Western Highway to get good mobile reception, and that’s the norm.

“Politicians sit in Canberra or Melbourne and say, ‘it all works fine’. No, it does not work fine, it all makes the assumption that you can get telecommunications reception.”

Not easy

Mr Maher said even when people were able to access a Superannuation Clearing House service, it was sometimes difficult to use.

“People are starting to show flaws in the system. I know of one example with the clearing house where one of the superannuation companies changed their ABN, so when the superannuation went through, it wouldn’t accept it.”

Dr Webster said she understood the frustration of the farmers.

“People who are in remote and rural communities deserve to have access to digital connectivity as much as those who live in cities,” she said.

“I continue to push government and industry stakeholders to ensure black spots in mobile coverage across Mallee are fixed as soon as possible.

“As an alternative to mobile coverage, I will continue to push NBNCO to ensure everyone across Mallee gets access to the National Broadband Network through a range of technologies, be it fibre to the premises, fibre to the curb, fibre to the node, fixed wireless or Sky Muster Plus.

“Many of our farmers who won’t have access to fibre products are able to access the newly updated Sky Muster Plus.

“I have been informed by both NBNCO and users of this service that the new Sky Muster Plus is working well and solving issues consumers previously experienced with Sky Muster.

“I would advise people to contact NBNCO for advice on coverage available in remote areas.

“If any more help is needed with NBNCO, Telstra or Optus, I encourage people to contact my office for help.”