MELISSA MCINTOSH MP

Shadow Minister for Communications

Shadow Minister for Women

Member for Lindsay

DR ANNE WEBSTER MP

Shadow Minister for Regional Communications

Shadow Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories

The Nationals Member for Mallee

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Friday 19 September 2025

Albanese Government regional communications ‘response’ insults regional Australians

The Coalition says Communications Minister Anika Wells is clearly out of her depth, with the Albanese Labor Government’s woefully inadequate reports on regional telecommunications released yesterday under the cover of 2035 emissions reduction targets.

Shadow Communications Ministers Melissa McIntosh and Dr Anne Webster said regional Australians have been insulted and disconnected by the overdue government response to the Regional Telecommunications Independent Review Committee (RTIRC) report and the short consultation timeframe on its Universal Outdoor Mobile Obligation (UOMO) proposal.

"The Coalition is shocked that Minister Wells has committed no funding to improving regional connectivity in yesterday’s announcements and kicked the UOMO can down the road to 2028,” Shadow Minister for Communications Melissa McIntosh said.

“This is the first time a government response has been so flippant. Previous government RTIRC responses specifically addressed recommendations, respecting RTIRC and the communities that participated in community forums.”

“Communities across the country are going to be very disheartened by such lack of care and commitment”

Shadow Minister for Regional Communications Dr Anne Webster said regional Australians have been left with no clear signal on whether Labor will fix regional connectivity at all in this term of office.

“Time and again Labor shows no respect for those that live and work in the regions, trying to play regional Australians for fools. Labor misled regional Australians before the election about UOMO but the only ‘universal’ thing about it is it is full of black holes – funding black holes, commitment black holes and continuing connectivity black holes,” Dr Webster said.

“Regional Australians need action, not more talk.”

Labor promised to legislate UOMO in 2025 but with just four sitting weeks left this year it looks likely to be another casualty of this lazy and hapless government.

Shadow Minister Webster said regional Australians were still reeling from a botched 3G shutdown, which also sits squarely on Labor’s shoulders after they failed to plan the shutdown appropriately with telcos.

“Labor has learned nothing from the 3G shutdown. Regional Australians miss out in so many ways. They deserve respect, not a rushed, tick-a-box ‘consultation’ so the Government can press on with their own agenda regardless of how it impacts those that live in the regions,” Dr Webster said.

“Telecommunications is an essential service for regional Australians and critical to overcome the tyranny of distance and boosting efficiencies in business, agriculture, markets and healthcare.

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