Connectivity win for St Leonards after long campaign

IMPROVED mobile coverage is finally on the horizon for the St Leonards community, with construction on a new telecommunications tower ready to begin.

The tower, to be located in Bluff Road, will be built by digital infrastructure company Indara, and both Telstra and Optus have committed to installing their equipment on the new structure.

The St Leonards community has long endured unreliable and, at times, non-existent mobile reception, with many highlighting the risks associated with an ongoing inability to contact family, doctors and emergency services in times of need.

Corangamite Labor federal member Libby Coker, who pledged $600,000 ahead of the 2022 federal election to help bolster connectivity in St Leonards, celebrated the project’s progress.

“The telcos are ready to go, and the City of Greater Geelong has provided approval for the development,”she said.

This approval was granted by the city late last year after a community consultation process that saw almost 400 locals submit letters of support for the installation of the mobile tower.

“I understand how important this issue is for people in St Leonards – it’s been a hard-fought journey but I’m so pleased that construction is now ready to commence,” Ms Coker said.

“This is a great outcome for the small seaside community – it will mean better connectivity to friends, family and services.”

Construction is expected to take about two months, after which Telstra and Optus will install their gear on the tower.

In the lead-up to the May 3 federal poll, mobile connectivity on the Bellarine has again found itself in the spotlight, with Liberal candidate for Corangamite Darcy Dunstan committing $1.3 million to mobile tower upgrades across the region, including in Clifton Springs, Curlewis and Drysdale.