Flat Rocks, Coronation Beach among Mid West, Gascoyne beaches set for mobile coverage upgrades

A popular surfing spot and a camping ground near Geraldton are some of the Mid West and Gascoyne beaches the State Government is looking to improve mobile coverage at, following a multi-million dollar injection towards a grant program.

In total, 35 beaches from the Kimberley to Esperance have been flagged for round two of the WA Surf Beaches Mobile Coverage Grants Program.

The Government has put $2 million towards the initiative, in which three Mid West beaches have been identified for improved mobile coverage.

These include Coronation Beach in Howatharra, Flat Rocks Beach in South Greenough and Kalbarri’s Lucky Bay.

Meanwhile, 10 Gascoyne beaches have been flagged for upgrades, including Amherst Point south of Coral Bay, as well as a number of locations near Exmouth at Cape Range National Park.

Regional Development Minister Don Punch said the funding was important, particularly for emergency situations.

“The Surf Beaches Mobile Coverage Grants Program is an important program for regional Western Australia, supporting the delivery of telecommunications infrastructure to beaches with no or poor mobile coverage,” he said.

“These beaches are heavily frequented by the local community and visitors for swimming, surfing, camping, fishing, picnics, snorkelling and other recreational activities.

“The plan to provide coverage across 35 identified beaches under this new funding round, in addition to 20 from the first round, will vastly improve the ability to communicate in the case of an emergency and will enable more people to enjoy the beach and ocean with confidence.”

The sites have been identified as having poor or no mobile coverage.

Round two of the program is open, with service providers able to pitch their proposals to deliver solutions at the various sites.