Anne Webster
Mallee · National Party · Australia
“The government's first duty is to protect its citizens and, arguably, its most vulnerable citizens—in this case, children. Today that duty extends into a digital world, where the playground has actually moved online and where too often it is unpoliced and unsafe.”
“We know that, despite the ban, large numbers of children are still accessing these platforms because enforcement has been weak and the regulator has not been given the tools it needs.”
“They worry about exposure to violent content; harmful algorithms; cyberbullying; scams; predatory, paedophilic behaviour; and the relentless pressure that social media can place on young people's mental health. These concerns are real, and they deserve to be taken seriously.”
“For many young Australians, social media is where they access news, educational content and creative learning. It's where they stay connected with friends and family. It is where they participate in their communities and engage in public debate.”
“My constituent asks that there be some sort of agency or protocol where these accounts can be collated, investigated and closed where applicable.”
“Labor rejected it and then, in the 2024 budget, accepted it. We pledged in June 2024 that we would deliver the under-16s social media ban, which Labor, thankfully, copied.”
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“Regional Australians are still reeling from a botched 3G shutdown, which also sits squarely on Labor's shoulders after they failed to plan the shutdown appropriately with telcos. Minister for Communications Anika Wells is clearly out of her depth, with the Albanese Labor government's woefully inadequate response to regional telecommunications issues released in mid-September under the cover of 2035 emissions reductions targets. Regional Australians have been insulted and disconnected by the overdue government response to the Regional Telecommunications Independent Review Committee report and the short consultation timeframe on its universal outdoor mobile obligation, UOMO, proposal.”
“A division having been called in the House of Representatives— Sitting suspended from 17:50 to 18:02 Small rural and remote councils in electorates like Mallee and, indeed, other regional areas are desperate for untied, uncontested funds that don't require them to make huge co-contributions so that they can stay afloat and deliver the basic community infrastructure and road maintenance and upgrades that are sorely needed. In regional communications, another part of the portfolio, it is tragic that it takes fatalities, like in the recent Optus triple 0 outages, to elevate an issue that many people in the regions face every day: inconsistent and unreliable mobile phone service—that's if there is any coverage at all—and the inability to contact emergency services when required.”
“They admitted they have worked with state and territory governments on this sort of data in the past. Why, then, are they not doing it now? It is a question for the minister. This sort of data is critical to understanding the differential financial challenges faced by local government. The Labor government's failure to extend funding of the Local Roads and Community Infrastructure Program, the LRCI program, a program overwhelmingly supported by local governments, further illustrates their failure to prioritise the needs of local government. Funding for this program ceases at the end of June 2026. Questioning in Senate estimates yesterday made it clear that the minister has not sought nor been provided with any advice by the department on an extension of the LRCI program.”
“They suffer considerable cost-shifting from the federal and state governments, resulting in ever-increasing responsibilities for programs and services that are not funded. This occurs in the context of limited sources of revenue, ageing infrastructure portfolios and many thousands of kilometres of roads. Councils are burdened by regulation and have limited access to untied, uncontested funds under this Labor government—and, for funds that are available, they require considerable co-contributions. When the coalition asked the department how many councils were operating in deficit in the most recent financial year and how many were under administration, they responded that they don't have that information on hand, that they don't have that data, and that they would need to take it on notice.”
“This evening I rise to speak about the Albanese government's failings within my portfolios, which have been further illuminated through the Senate estimates process. As the shadow minister for local government, I've met with local government representative bodies and councils from many parts of the country. Councils appreciate having a listening ear and a heart on this side of the House, to understand their issues, find solutions and advocate for them. Councils do not feel heard by the Albanese government and struggle to see a minister, let alone get a meeting with a staff member. Local government is in peril. Smaller rural and remote councils face financial sustainability challenges that can seem insurmountable.”
“Adding insult to injury, the same Labor governments that have undermined local emergency services have allowed, twice on their watch, the triple 0 service to fail. Regional Australians need reliable triple 0 service, as do all Australians. There is no debate or question about that. I am proud to be part of a coalition on this side of the House, with our colleagues in the Senate, applying the blowtorch of accountability to this government on its failings on the most essential of our essential services—triple 0. Summer is coming in less than two months time, and in my electorate of Mallee the fire danger period tends to start by the end of October—just a couple of weeks from now. I urge the government to work with the opposition, to be transparent and accountable and to build confidence in triple 0 so we do not lose another Australian life.”
“Without reliable telecommunications, people can get sick and can die, particularly in regional Australia. Yet, when I moved amendments to make regional telecommunications a specific focus of the new Triple Zero Custodian, Labor weren't interested. They expect regional Australians to trust the government to look out for their interests. Regional Australians have plenty of reasons not to do that. Everywhere you look at the Labor brand, at federal and state levels—from the reckless renewables rollout to imposing new taxes in Victoria during a drought period, until they were shamed into giving farmers a one-year break—Labor cannot be trusted to look out for the interests of regional Australians. Regional Australians have seen centralisation and closure of local services under Labor governments, particularly in health services.”
“Australians rely on triple 0 to ensure that an ambulance, a fire engine or a police officer arrives to assist them as fast as possible. Let's remember how thin the emergency services workforce is in regional Australia. Farmers, Indigenous Australians and residents of small rural towns live even further from an emergency service than metropolitan Australians do. Regional remoteness is exacerbated by the lack of a reliable mobile phone signal, or no signal at all. This government has been in office for more than three years, yet we do not have a fit-for-purpose universal service obligation for the 21st century. Telecommunications is an essential service and has been for some time—no different to potable water supply, sewerage and electricity.”
“Labor can point the finger at Optus, but, of course, it wasn't Optus's first outage; it was their second. The first, over 18 months ago, was investigated by Richard Bean, who produced a report with 18 recommendations. It was an outage that happened on this government's watch, yet, despite all of that, this negligent Albanese Labor government allowed another failure to happen on their watch. Westminster tradition, one of the core foundations of this place, makes it very clear that the buck stops with the minister, yet ministerial accountability in the Albanese Labor government is about as strong as a regional mobile phone signal—flaky at best. We are talking today about arguably Australia's most trusted brand—the triple 0 telephone number.”
“I note the comments made by the member for Perth. Of course, this is political. The fact is that it is sad the minister herself is not here to respond to this MPI. This is a serious issue. We take it seriously on this side. Our side is under no illusion that Optus has no responsibility. Clearly Optus is responsible. But the minister is where the buck stops, and that is our point. To continually walk away and point the finger at Optus and say, 'They're responsible, not me,' is absolutely unacceptable. There is nowhere for the minister to hide. The buck stops, however, with the minister not Optus, not the department and not her staff. We know how serious the outage was. Four people died—four Australians who are no longer with us due to this government's failings. That is a fact.”
“My question is to the Minister for Communications. As the minister earlier said, people have died. Instead of coming clean about what the minister and her office knew and when, the minister chose to mislead the public and the House to protect herself. In light of evidence tabled at Senate estimates today, why doesn't the minister just say sorry?”
“My question is to the Minister for Communications. A chain of emails revealing the minister's personal office's knowledge of the escalating triple 0 outage crisis on 18 September included an email alerting the minister's office to the fact that 'welfare checks will be made'. Did the minister take any actions to satisfy herself that those welfare and wellbeing checks of those impacted were being conducted—for example, by phoning to apologise to affected people and their families?”
“ASIC are just one of a number of agencies and businesses that have failed the Mazzas. I am determined to ensure there is justice for Nick and Aimee, and I am not done calling out those that have let them down.”
“Aimee and Nick Mazza of Mildura are victims of the Labor government's failure to protect and deliver justice to mum-and-dad investors subject to financial crimes. Nick and Aimee have been through hell and back due to the criminal behaviour of financial adviser Anthony Del Vecchio of Freedom Finance, who stole their hard earned money and gambled it away. While Del Vecchio has been sentenced and jailed, Aimee and Nick continue to deal with the fallout of his evil behaviour. The stress, mental and emotional consequences and impact on their family have been immense. Yet the financial firm Del Vecchio worked for was wound up and has been able to phoenix into a new business. This is indicative of the failings of ASIC and their lack of teeth when it comes to regulating the financial services sector.”
“The USO underpins emergency connectivity, yet the old voice based USO is no longer fit for purpose. The minister protested last week that she was new to the portfolio. I don't know if that means the previous minister, Minister Rowland, was doing nothing and handed nothing over to her to continue with or that the minister has had priorities other than ensuring life-saving connectivity in the bush. The universal outdoor mobile obligation, or UOMO, is a step in the right direction, and telcos are rolling out connectivity via satellite on newer telephone handsets. (Time expired)”
“He's happy to be preaching Labor virtues at the UK Labour conference while this controversy raged back home but pretends the actions of his ministers and fellow state Labor governments have nothing to do with him. The Prime Minister has the nerve to tell regional Australians, 'I won't BS people,' yet under his government there's bulldust as far as the eye can see—no transparency, no accountability, secrecy and demands that it's Labor's way or the highway. The hubris of those opposite knows no end, and the best way to indicate the government is taking the second triple 0 failure on their watch seriously, to tell regional Australians they matter to this government, is to support these amendments. The minister and the Albanese government also need to move very quickly on updating the universal service obligation.”
“Well, call me and my Nationals colleagues once bitten, twice shy—or, more likely, constantly neglected, always vigilant—because we see Labor ignore and disrespect regional Australians time and time again. I make no apology for moving amendments to ensure special consideration of regional Australians who are treated like second-class citizens. When Labor-backed programs roll through our electorates, regional Australians are not consulted. The decision is already in the bag. It's faux consultation to tick the box. The justifiable bitterness and anger of regional Australians sits at Labor's feet. The Prime Minister deserved the reception he got in Ballarat at the Bush Summit. The buck stops with him and his government.”
“We don't have the benefit of a second-option mobile service if one fails, and not everyone can afford the low-Earth-orbit satellite service workarounds to secure more reliable coverage. Labor is content with regional Australians having second-rate services, and that puts lives at risk. In other words, Labor is happy to put regional Australian lives at risk. If those opposite disagree with that proposition, support my amendments today. If my amendments are not supported, what is this government telling regional Australians? That they cannot be bothered having specific expectations the Triple Zero Custodian will focus on the specific risks they face in the bush. Or will they say: 'Just trust us. We care about regional Australians. Their issues will be in the mix of the considerations'?”
“Waiting until a fatality occurs in regional Australia is not only unacceptable but it puts lives at risk and, in my view, is a basis for the minister to resign or be censured or sacked. That's Westminster accountability. That's the minister's job. The buck stops with her. These amendments ensure that the Triple Zero Custodian is reporting to the government and the parliament on the specific connectivity issues that rural, regional and remote Australians are facing. The minister described herself as new, five months into the job. I've been shadow regional communications minister for less time, and I've already taken countless briefings. It's already clear to me that not only are the problems in regional Australia dire but also unique.”
“I'm proud to stand here representing Mallee but also representing all regional Australians as the first shadow minister for regional communications. These amendments bring specific focus to the Triple Zero Custodian to investigate and report on deficiencies in connectivity for rural, regional and remote Australians. As it presently stands, we really don't know how many regional Australians have been affected by triple 0 outages, but our lived experience in the regions is that it happens a lot. Indeed, regional Australians who contact my office are concerned about their mobile service connectivity more generally. Shockingly, when they call triple 0, they cannot get through.”
“by leave—I move amendments (1) and (2) on sheet 2 as circulated in my name together: (1) Schedule 1, item 7, page 5 (line 33), at the end of subsection 151A(2), add: ; (c) the deficiencies in connectivity in rural, regional and remote Australia that put Australians living there at risk from ECS outage events. (2) Schedule 1, item 7, page 16 (after line 16), after paragraph 151Q(1)(b), insert: (ba) the specific challenges and personal safety risks faced by Australians living in rural, regional and remote areas through poor connectivity to emergency call services; Labor governs for select parts of capital cities and not for the regions. That's the concern I have. My constituents in Mallee see time and time again that Labor treats them as invisible or, at best, obstacles to be pushed out of the way.”
“Yet it took four tragedies and God knows how many more near misses for the government to come into this place implementing just one recommendation from the 18 in the Bean review. The minister wants us to rubberstamp this legislation this week, but is the Triple Zero Custodian the independent body the Bean review recommended? That's a very good question. Does it have sufficient independence from ministerial influence? Is there sufficient transparency and accountability for the Australian public to know what is going on? Does the custodian sits sufficiently outside the control of ACMA, the department and the minister? The recommendation said the custodian should have responsibility. However, we know that ultimately, in our Westminster system of government, responsibility sits squarely with the minister.”
“She couldn't tell the House yesterday what the custodian has been doing since it was created within the department, and this is where I come back to responsibility. First of all, nothing absolves the Albanese Labor government of its responsibility on triple 0 connectivity and on telecommunications more broadly. The minister in question time yesterday wanted to point the finger at Optus—it's all Optus's fault!—claiming we on this side of the House are letting Optus off the hook. Hardly! What did former US president George W. Bush famously try to say? 'Fool me once—shame on you. Fool me twice—shame on me.' The Albanese Labor government are on their second time around on triple 0 outages. They had more than fair warning about Optus's shortcomings and, indeed, an independent report recommending the Triple Zero Custodian.”
“Labor guts regions of health professionals, through the DPA, that can save lives and turn regional health care around. I therefore make no apology as the member for Mallee, proudly representing the Nationals, for moving specific amendments and making a specific case for regional Australians. That's my job. That is our job—representing our electorates, our constituents. Let the government go ahead and gag and vote down amendments. It will simply reinforce yet again that the Albanese Labor government sees regional Australians as obstacles at best and invisible at worst. This brings me to the Triple Zero Custodian. It was recommended by Richard Bean way back in March 2024, and the minister is moving legislation today.”
“How do motorists or Indigenous Australians report a car accident and the need for urgent assistance if triple 0 fails? This is why, as shadow minister for regional communications, I am proposing amendments to this bill to bring specific emphasis to rural, regional and remote Australians. Enough is enough. Without specific emphasis and reporting on their needs, regional Australians will continue to lose their lives unnecessarily. Labor simply doesn't care about that. We have higher morbidity and mortality rates in regional Australia, and my observation as former shadow assistant minister for regional health is that Labor do not care one iota—nothing has changed in that space. Labor centralises health services. Labor undermines regional health services so that they have to be centralised.”
“At last check, Optus couldn't explain that outage. These are the lived experiences of regional Australians, whose communities have been hollowed out of health and other emergency services under Labor governments, both federal and state. Regional Australians live a long way from an ambulance station, let alone a hospital and let alone a police station or firefighting services. These are regional Australians who take it upon themselves to look after themselves and to run, for instance, farm firefighting units because they know they are so far from help and they need to be self-reliant. They cannot contact triple 0 during an outage to report that a fire is moving in a certain direction or that they need help stopping an outbreak.”
“We tried to speak further with this lady from North Queensland this morning and, unsurprisingly, we could not get connection. That's the lived experience in regional Australia under the Albanese Labor government. This is a minister who justifies second-rate services for regional Australians. A Mallee constituent contacted me and said that they have not been able to contact triple 0 on their Optus service. My office has since not been able to ring them back on their number because, strangely enough, it doesn't connect. Then there's Paula, who was playing golf in early August on the Mornington Peninsula when she experienced heart attack symptoms but could not reach triple 0 on her Optus-affiliate service. She got through to her daughter on Facebook Messenger, and her daughter then called the ambulance. Thankfully, Paula survived.”
“So let me tell you about the forgotten Australians, the collateral damage of this government's hubris. Rural, regional and remote Australians live a long way from hospitals, police, firefighting and other emergency services, and, for many, a mobile phone is their sole phone service, particularly in remote Indigenous communities. One North Queensland resident explains they cannot make phone calls on their Telstra service—Telstra, not Optus—because it drops out for about 20 seconds every few seconds, even interrupting triple 0 calls. The intermittent signal came, believe it or not, after a system upgrade, but Telstra tells them they need more satellites in the air and maybe it will improve by 2030. That's encouraging!”
“Regrettably, under the Albanese Labor government, the mob on that side of the House are full of so much hubris. They don't believe in transparency and accountability; they're too busy enjoying the trappings of office. Such is this government's hubris that yesterday, in question time, the minister had a go at the opposition for not rubberstamping this bill, which they had given to the shadow minister less than 24 hours before. I mean, fancy the shadow minister wanting to consult with colleagues and take it to the party room! What happened to the kinder, friendlier, more transparent parliament? No; not when you've got such a cheer squad on the other side. Labor beats down on the opposition, puts democracy aside and just wants to have its own way.”
“It has sadly taken the tragic death of four Australians due to a second Optus triple 0 outage in September for this government to progress this legislation, the Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (Triple Zero Custodian and Emergency Calling Powers) Bill 2025, today. The Minister for Communications told the House yesterday that the Albanese government had implemented most of the Bean review recommendations. I ask the minister to inform the House on record when and by whom those recommendations were implemented. The minister told question time yesterday that the opposition was politicising this issue. When Australian lives are lost and when the Australian government has the regulatory responsibility and falls short of that responsibility, the opposition's job is to hold the government accountable.”
“In my home state of Victoria, the Allan Labor government has undermined confidence and support in volunteer firefighting through their so-called emergency services and volunteers fund levy. It is a tax grab. Volunteer firefighters are already shocked that transmission lines and wind turbines are being proposed through their farming land, exposing them to greater fire risk. Now they are being taxed for the inconvenience by yet another Labor government that is hungry for tax revenue. Labor desperately needs to rebuild confidence and support in emergency services, and this select committee is how we get there.”
“Without triple 0, you don't get an ambulance. In all likelihood, particularly in the bush, you will die. Without triple 0, you don't get a firefighter or firefighting support. It's highly likely you'll die or suffer catastrophic injuries. Our job in opposition is to hold this government to account, and four lives have been lost—four! This government has allowed Optus to undermine confidence in our triple 0 system, and we need to rebuild confidence right here with this select committee. Let me add my gratitude to our emergency services personnel. Nothing in this debate is a slight on their dedication and hard work, and I want to send a particular shout-out to our emergency services volunteers, volunteer firefighters and ambulance service members.”
“Under Labor, we have seen tick-and-flick meaningless so-called consultation when federal and state Labor government have in mind precisely what it intends to do, which is centralisation and withdrawal of essential services from the bush. The best way to rebuild trust in the triple 0 system and, indeed, in this government is to have this inquiry. I wrote about the triple 0 system in my local newspapers in Mallee, and it's my duty as member for Mallee and as shadow minister to reassure my constituents that they can have confidence in calling triple 0. Amid the debate about Optus triple 0 failures, we've had to be very careful to ensure Australians will call triple 0 and be confident that it will work. That is the reason for this select committee and what it is all about—rebuilding trust in arguably the most trusted service in Australia.”
“I have spoken with some of them recently as well, as has my colleague the shadow minister for communications. This travesty is so critical. We need transparency. With the minister flailing and calling herself a new minister five months in, saving Australians' lives warrants full House engagement and transparency on what is happening with our triple 0 service. Regional Australians need reassurance. After a very poor run of performance from this minister and from the Albanese Labor government on its treatment of regional Australians, this House needs to give those in the bush the certainty that triple 0 will be there to save their lives.”
“I second the motion. Bushfire season is upon us in regional Australia, and the indications are that it could be a bad one, so reliable connectivity to triple 0 is absolutely critical to saving lives in the bush. That is why the haste in clearing up this minister's mess is so important and why a select committee on the triple 0 ecosystem is absolutely warranted. Given the second Optus triple 0 failure on Labor's watch, nothing could be more important than this House turning its mind to how we can save lives this summer and beyond, particularly in regional Australia. The composition of this proposed House select committee is fair and representative and has a quick timeframe of under two months to deliver findings. It is well and good for the Minister for Communications to claim she has called the telco heads in for a good talking to.”
“This is all just an expression of corporate groupthink, where profits are prioritised over people and, once again, regional Australians bear the brunt. Qantas has benefited considerably over the years from its diversified organisational structure, where group profits are balanced against losses of regional subsidiaries during downturns and challenging times. While businesses and corporations naturally focus on profitability, our national carrier—and one that received considerable support from government during the COVID pandemic—appears to have lost its way. This isn't just about workers; it's about connectivity, livability and the future of regional Australia. Qantas needs to stop retreating into the big cities and start looking after the nation that gave it its wings.”
“Qantas whittled down the Mildura workforce over years so effective rosters could not be filled. Mildura Airport is regional Victoria's largest airport. This is not a remote airstrip. The closure of Qantas bases underlines how far Qantas has drifted from its founding mission. I'm also concerned that QantasLink service reliability to Mildura will be affected because of hollowed-out local staffing. This is a repeat of Qantas's 2008 Mildura maintenance facility closure. Now, if planes break down, an engineer has to be flown in, causing significant delays or cancellations. QantasLink's latest closure also follows the August 2024 closure of their Tamworth maintenance facility, cutting 41 permanent and 10 contract roles.”
“And it's not just about jobs lost in a place like Mildura; it's whole families leaving town. These families will be lost to social circles, civic life and the economy. Losing professional people and families like this has a significant impact on regional economies like Mildura, making a mockery of an airline that was born and raised in regional Australia. Sunraysia residents and regional Australians are sick of being treated as second-class citizens by the Labor government and by big corporations with tunnel vision focused on major cities—tunnel vision that means the regions are last on the agenda. As the shadow minister for regional development, I am focused on building economic development in the regions, not on centralising operations in major cities on the east coast. Let me be clear. This is a premeditated, Qantas-engineered closure.”
“The move is short sighted and damaging to Mildura Airport, the busiest regional airport in Victoria. So-called consultation by Qantas has been nothing short of insulting. There was never a chance they were going to change their direction. Their decision was baked in from the get-go. I will call out corporates and governments that engage in tokenistic consultation impacting my constituents any day of the week. Qantas threatens to deprive Sunraysia of more professionals and disrupt families who have built their lives doing what they love where they live. Has Qantas even considered the costs to these pilots and cabin crew—the cost of purchasing a similar home in Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane; of spouses changing jobs; and of children changing schools from Mildura? That would be a clear no.”
“I rise this evening to let it be known, sadly, that Qantas has ceased to be the spirit of Australia and has become the spirit of Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne. The recent decision by Qantas to close the Mildura base next April, along with bases in Canberra and Hobart, is a slap in the face to the Sunraysia region. Qantas has shown total disrespect to Mildura residents, pilots and cabin crew, who have served with distinction. Pilots and cabin crew will get just two years of support to commute from Mildura to the alternative bases in Melbourne, Sydney or Brisbane, with no guarantee after that and with unclear financial support arrangements for the interim. This is a crippling blow to regional aviation on top of the collapse of Rex and Bonza and the retreat of Virgin Australia.”
“My question is to the Minister for Communications. Can the minister confirm to the House that neither she nor her office were notified of the catastrophic triple 0 outage, which occurred on 18 September, before the afternoon of 19 September?”
“I really appreciate this opportunity to correct the record. Yesterday, in answering a question, the Prime Minister asserted that I had organised protests—one in Horsham and one in Ballarat. I did not organise any protest. I stood with my community, who did organise those protests. I made a statement yesterday that I had been misrepresented and that I did not organise the protests. The Prime Minister, today, continued his untruths in the House, despite that statement of misrepresentation. He said that I tell people to get out there and bring a noose to a public meeting. The Prime Minister's aggression today to three women in the opposition says more about his character. As for his agenda for a kinder, gentler parliament, it's far to be seen. Not only can the Prime Minister not answer questions that he's asked; he cannot tell the truth.”
“WEBSTER () (): My question is to the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister told the Bush Summit last Friday, 'I won't BS people.' But yesterday in the House he claimed he was the first prime minister in 40 years to visit Horsham in my electorate. Given former prime minister Tony Abbott visited Horsham in 2015 to announce $1 million to open an oncology unit, wasn't your answer just more BS? Prime Minister, isn't your BS the real reason you were chased out of Ballarat by a convoy of tractors?”
“As our highest priority, the Nationals are committed to working with consumers and the telecommunications sector to design an updated universal service obligation that ensures that regional Australians have the connectivity required to enable economic participation and maximise productivity gains and have access to high-quality educational content and virtual health care and meaningful social connection. I call on this government to lift their game.”
“RTIRC also discuss the need to modernise consumer protections to ensure relevance to changes in technology and models of service delivery and the need for a consolidated and streamlined framework of consumer protection to reduce duplication, streamline compliance and enforcement and improve effectiveness. The RTIRC report calls for a full overhaul of telecommunications consumer protection and service standard frameworks, suggesting the modernisation of the universal service obligation as a sensible time to do this. As the shadow minister for regional communications, I highlight that the Nationals are championing regional connectivity.”
“I would now like to draw the House's attention back to the consumer protections in regional telecommunications and refer again to the report of the Regional Telecommunications Independent Review Committee. Recommendation 4 of this report is about consumer protection and service standards. Key findings of RTIRC's report regarding consumer protection and service standards include: The regulatory and consumer protection framework for telecommunications is extremely complex— due to multiple pieces of legislation, contractual requirements and industry codes. Other findings are: Consumers' expectations of consumer protections and telco providers' service standards are not being met. People in rural and remote areas experience faults and outages more frequently, and repair times are often extended compared to urban areas.”
“People with life-saving health devices are having to charge them constantly because the device is searching for a signal that isn't coming, rendering the device useless because it isn't on them while it's on the charger. At their own cost, because of this government's failures, people are installing Starlink satellites for their homes and properties because the lack of access is quite literally threatening lives and livelihoods. There have also been reports of poor handling of consumer complaints about their loss of service post the 3G shutdown. It isn't good enough, and the Albanese government should be ashamed of their lack of response to help the people impacted. I hope I have done justice to the bleak nature of the regional telecommunications experience for consumers so far this morning.”
“In regional or remote areas, consumers report 4G is unreliable or absent where 3G actually worked, resulting in phones dropping to SOS mode or having no signal at all, requiring them to drive up hills or climb towers for reception, as Rhys has to do. And I have to say I experience this on many of my Mallee roads. I have conversations going on the telephone while I'm driving, they drop out and they have to be called again and again. Thousands of consumers have been left with worse or no coverage at all, particularly in rural and remote areas. Farmers' agtech equipment has been rendered useless. There is no coverage on their properties to call triple 0 if there is an accident or emergency.”
“However, the Albanese government's management of the shutdown of the 3G network was a complete mess. I called time and again for the former minister to prevent the foreseeable calamity of a rushed 3G shutdown, and the Albanese government was very slow to act. Even then, the 3G shutdown was marred by significant failings, widespread disruptions, a surge in complaints and ongoing service losses for some consumers, particularly in the regions. Despite promises of equivalent or improved coverage, 4G or 5G signals do not reach as far as 3G in some terrains, creating new black spots. This was particularly acute in rural areas with fortuitous 3G coverage—that is, unofficial signals beyond the mapped areas, which telcos did not commit to replicating.”
“For those who don't know, it's around a million dollars per tower. We must invest in up-to-date technology. We need to be realistic about the technology advances, what they look like and the timeframes involved; be aware of what industry is doing or likely to continue to do off their own bat because it makes commercial sense; and listen to the experience and needs of consumers in the regions, who are often most aware of what really makes a difference on the ground. When it comes to the experience of telecommunications for regional Australians on the ground, the 3G network shutdown is a prime example of the failings of the Albanese Labor government. The 3G network shutdown in Australia, completed by major telcos in 2024, aimed to repurpose spectrum for enhanced 4G and 5G services.”