Govt brings more base stations to North West WA

The Australian Government has announced that its Regional Connectivity Program (RCP) is enabling families, businesses and visitors in North West WA to stay better connected, with three projects in the Kimberley region and one in the Pilbara recently completed through the program.

In Kununurra, located at the eastern extremity of the Kimberley, a new mobile base station has been built to increase coverage in the area. At Crossing Falls, south of Kununurra, a separate base station is set to provide better coverage in the growing area, as well as to the nearby Aboriginal community at Mud Springs.

A base station at the Aboriginal community of Koorabye, south west of Fitzroy Crossing, will meanwhile improve mobile connectivity, supporting the development of the local tourism industry. It also means mean better access to telehealth, education and other essential services.

Finally, in the Pilbara, the mining town of Newman and remote Aboriginal community of Jigalong will get better coverage with new base stations and upgrades delivered under the program.

The Australian Government invested more than $3.2 million towards the four projects, along with contributions from the WA Government and Telstra. Over three rounds of the RCP, the federal government has committed $368.4 million of funding for 297 communications infrastructure projects to boost connectivity across the country.

“No Australian should be left behind, which is why the Albanese government continues to fund programs that ensure Australians, regardless of where they live, have better coverage,” said Minister for Communications Anika Wells.

“North West WA is an isolated but incredibly important part of Australia, and ensuring the right communications infrastructure is in place is essential.”

“Reliable phone services and communications are essential for people in remote communities to access health and other important services,” added Minister for Indigenous Australians Malarndirri McCarthy.

“These projects in the Kimberley and Pilbara will help improve connectivity for people in remote communities.

“The Albanese government is proud of our commitment to invest in remote Australia and its people; boosting connectivity is an important part of Closing the Gap when it comes to digital inclusion.”

Image caption: Kununurra at sunset. Image credit: iStock.com/Chris Gordon