Calls for black spot funding in Macedon Ranges

As crews from across Victoria battled blazes in Gippsland, Macedon Ranges firefighters and residents backed a call to increase funding for mobile black spots.

Firefighters work to extingush a bushfire near Yiinnar in Gippsland on March 4. Hundreds of emergency workers were deployed to fight the blazes.

As crews from across Victoria battled blazes in Gippsland, Macedon Ranges firefighters and residents backed a call to increase funding for mobile black spots.

Labor state regional communication spokesman Stephen Jones and McEwen federal Labor MP Rob Mitchell last week promised $2 million for a connectivity plan in the shire if their party won the federal election, expected in May.

Gisborne South resident Cathy Beck Evans said a lack of mobile coverage at her house made it difficult to attend to calls.

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During a 2014 bushfire, the VicEmergency app failed to alert her and her husband to the impending danger.

“I was unaware the fire was happening even though I had the app there, until my neighbour called and told me. The fire was only 2km to 3km away from us,” she said. “I can’t tell you how bad it is in our area. I miss work calls. My husband misses work calls.”

The 2014 fires at Gisborne and Riddells Creek threatened townships.

The February 2014 blaze started in Gisborne and burned about 2600ha, threatening Riddells Creek.

Bullengarook, Gisborne South, Mt Macedon and Woodstock have also been identified by Labor as having black spot issues.

Elsewhere in the shire, Woodend CFA captain Mike Dornau said a lack of coverage, particularly at Benloch and the Cobaw Ranges, made it difficult to fight fires.

“I was recently at the Benloch fire and, apart from the CFA radios there, the mobile system was non-existent,” he said.

Mike Dornau says poor mobile phone coverage made it difficult to fight fires.

“At times when I’m trying to make phone calls to incident controls, it was absolutely impossible to get through and you’re wasting time trying to get in contact.”

Mr Dornau said there had been times when a lack of reception meant he had to leave his crew at the scene of a fire to communicate with colleagues or incident control.

Mr Mitchell said the funding would make a huge difference.

“Regions like ours should be highest priority, because we know exactly how big the impact is when we can’t rely on communications,” he said.