The State Government has improved the resilience of telecommunication across the state, having completed 200 resilience upgrade projects so far.
Minister for Government Services Gabrielle Williams last week visited Mount Taylor in East Gippsland where a Telstra mobile tower site has recently been upgraded as part of the resilience upgrade program co-funded with the Commonwealth and Telstra.
The resilience upgrades include fitting 12-hour battery-backups, extending critical power and installing generators.
Through the Connecting Victoria Program more than 60 projects are planned to be delivered in East Gippsland with more than half already completed so far.
East Gippsland and Mount Taylor have been impacted in the recent September storms and these upgrades will enable communities to stay connected should there be future power outages.
“We’re working with telecommunications companies to improve reliability across Victoria so that communities are better connected, especially during emergencies,” Minister Williams said.
“We have completed more than 75 per cent of our resilience projects pipeline so far with the rest to be delivered by 2026.”
“These upgrades are ensuring the community can stay connected – even through the toughest of weather conditions and when it matters most,” Member for Eastern Victoria Tom Mcintosh said.
“Co-investment programs such as this are really important in helping deliver great connectivity outcomes and enabling all Australians to participate fully in the digital economy,” Telstra regional general manager Jenny Gray said.
The resilience program is also removing vegetation and installing heat-proof shields to protect infrastructure to prepare critical infrastructure as we head into the summer bushfire season.While the Commonwealth Government is responsible for telecommunications services in Australia, the State Government has stepped in and partnered with telecommunications providers to invest in resilience mobile towers so communities can stay connected.
The Connecting Victoria program is delivering more than 1,200 mobile projects and 150 broadband projects across the state.
Connecting Victoria projects will be delivered by mid-2026, with many set to be completed much sooner.