Action underway to fix poor phone coverage in Noojee

Action has begun to fix poor telecommunications that are plaguing Noojee and surrounding areas.

After meeting about 35 local people Member for Monash Russell Broadbent has asked Telstra to investigate the problems, what needs to be done to fix them and at what cost.

Mr Broadbent said fixed line, mobile and CFA communications were all very poor due to what he described as “ancient” transmission equipment.

It will need investment by the government under its Mobile Black Spot program because the population of Noojee district was not large enough to warrant telecommunications company funding an upgrade, he said.

Mr Broadbent said the poor and unreliable service was impacting local businesses and tourism.

“Although the population is only several hundred up to 2000 people could come to Noojee at weekends”.

It’s very difficult to promote the area’s attraction to tourists and visitors without good communications, he added.

Similar problems at Walhalla, like Noojee a high-risk bushfire area, were solved in mid-2019 when a mobile communications tower was installed providing mobile phone and internet coverage for the first time.

Baw Baw Shire deputy mayor and Walhalla businessman Michael Leaney, who was active in pushing the case for modern communications in the town, was also at the meeting with Noojee residents.

“It is clearly a major issue for Noojee to have poor landline services and very little reliability with mobile and emergency communications”.

“The town does not have a mobile transmission tower, just an aerial on a pole that was installed as a temporary measure in 2009”.

Last year the Noojee Hotel was without any ‘phone services for about six weeks’, Cr Leaney stated.

He said it was great to see a strong local turn-out of residents to stress the issue to Mr Broadbent and have him take up their case, he added.