Member for Murray Helen Dalton has called for further investment in regional telecommunicatons services.

The federal telecommunications review is done every three years and Mrs Dalton highlighted a lack of coverage around parts of the Murray electorate.

"By focusing on high population centres, our rural and remote communities continue to be denied the chance to prosper; insufficient telecommunications infrastructure is disincentivising individuals from relocating to these areas," she explained in a report submitted.

"Not only does this impact the mental health and wellbeing of constituents, it also limits business and educational capabilities, as well as access to emergency services."

She added that with lockdowns highlighting the necessity of reliable phone lines and internet access, 'black spots' and areas of poor reception were even more of a priority to address.

"We all accept that if our rural communities and economies are to prosper, a fast and reliable telecommunications network is vital ... Fast, reliable internet is not a luxury, but essential for business. The effects on education of poor network connectivity have also been profound, with many students without network capacity necessary for home learning," she said.

READ MORE

In Griffith, she highlighted the Benerembah area as a particular area of concern, but said that the situation in Hay was especially dire.

"Many residents have shared stories relating to crisis situations where they've been unable to access telecommunications networks due to the abundance of blackspots This is of great concern as many of my constituents work far from towns, and if an accident were to occur, emergency services would be unreachable."

The submissions made will be collected by the independent committee, which will make their report by December 31 to the Australian government.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content: