Call for emergency access

Member for O’Connor Rick Wilson has tabled a petition in Parliament calling for 000 access in mobile phone black spots.

This comes after Kojonup resident Katherine Marsh lost her partner Mick to a quad bike accident that occurred in a no-coverage area.

Ms Marsh and her family have been actively campaigning for change and were able to accumulate 18,919 signatures for the petition that went in front of Parliament last week.

Mr Wilson gave Parliament background into why he was calling for the upgraded 000 access.

“Katherine’s campaign arose through her own personal tragedy when her partner Mick McGuiness died following a quad bike accident last year that left her widowed and pregnant,” he said.

“Sadly, the accident occurred in a mobile black spot area with no 000 access.

“Mick was able to walk away from the accident, but Katherine and her family were unable to raise the alarm via mobile phone in their time of need.

“The deployment of emergency services was delayed by over 20 minutes.

“Whether this time frame would have changed the outcome for Mick, no one will ever know, but I give enormous credit to Katherine and her family for taking up this cause with such passion in their time of a loss.”

Mr Wilson was then happy to report that the Government was responding to the needs of regional Australia with more mobile phone towers.

“A total of 133 out of the 177 nominated mobile phone black spots in my electorate will be eliminated at a cost of $53.4 million.”

The Government committed $100 million for the construction of new and upgraded towers across Australia in June 2015, and during this year’s election campaign, the Prime Minister committed another $60 million.