Testra would be their own worst enemy to pursue payphone plan

Monday, 20 February 2006 02:02 |

Leader of The Nationals in the Senate, Ron Boswell, said today that a reported plan by Telstra to remove 5000 pay phones across Australia would not be well received in rural and regional Australia. “Telstra is its own worst enemy if the company thinks pay phones numbers can be cut in regional areas without talking to the communities and their representatives and coming up with a mutually acceptable plan,” he said. “Historically, regional and rural communities don’t take kindly to having their access to telecommunications services reduced at all, but I suspect that pulling out pay phones ‘under the radar’ would really upset them.” Senator Boswell said that he recalled a case around 5 years ago where the possibility was floated of removing a phone box from the small Queensland community of Ubobo, south of Gladstone. “It was taken as an incredible insult to the Ubobo community. They took it to the National media and, with the support of Paul Neville, they fought the decision with every resource available to them. Telstra backed off pretty quickly on that one.” “To date, I have not been consulted on this issue. I understand that the Federal Communications Minister has not been consulted either.” “If Telstra have a genuine case to remove payphones from rural and regional communities, then they need to undertake genuine and extensive consultation with the Government, and with representatives of the communities that would be affected.” “They need to come in and sit down and explain their case, and we need a chance to put forward alternative arguments on behalf of the people that will be affected by the decision,” Senator Boswell said. ENDS Media Contact – Paul Leven 07 3001 8150