APRIL 13, 2015: I receive consistent community feedback that action needs to be taken to fix mobile black spots in parts of North Queensland and today I was pleased to have the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Communications, Paul Fletcher meet with residents from Alligator Creek, south of Townsville to discuss ways to improve mobile phone coverage.Under its Mobile Black Spot Programme, the Federal Government will invest $100 million in telecommunications infrastructure to boost mobile coverage in outer metropolitan, regional and remote Australia.Mr Fletcher’s visit provided an opportunity for Alligator Creek and Burdekin residents to directly address their reported problems with mobile phone coverage.This has long been an issue in this area, which is why I was determined that Paul get to meet and listen to locals on the ground.We also met with Burdekin Shire Council representatives to discuss communication issues as well.Paul has been driving the Liberal National Government’s Mobile Black Spot Programme to improve mobile phone coverage, especially in smaller communities.The Government has established a competitive selection process under which Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone are presently preparing bids for funding to build new or upgraded base stations. Their proposals are due to government this month.“Mobile black spots in North Queensland will be eligible for funding proposals under the Government’s $100 million Mobile Black Spot Programme,” Mr Fletcher said.“We aim to announce the locations of the base stations to be funded by 30 June this year – and we expect the first base stations under the programme will begin to roll out in the second half of 2015.”The Programme is expected to fund between 250 and 300 new mobile phone base stations around Australia.