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NAME a suburb in Bendigo, and you’re likely to find at least some residents, streets, or whole blocks struggling with their phone reception.
That was the outcome of a Bendigo Advertiser Facebook post, which asked residents to list mobile phone reception black spots throughout the region.
From Maiden Gully to Kennington, and Huntly to Sedgwick, few regions were spared. And the complaints were many and varied.
Further afield, Maryborough was listed as a particularly poor area for mobile reception, along with Castlemaine, Chewton, and all the areas around Lake Eppalock.
The Bendigo Advertiser took a Telstra mobile phone to some poor reception areas, and the complaints were well and truly verified.
Standing just metres from the entrance to Epsom Primary School, the phone lost all mobile reception. Walking up and down Howard Street, only a few areas received reception.
Further north, in front of the old Huntly council offices, it was the same story. Walking around the grounds, the reception rarely connected.
Maiden Gully was among the most listed areas by readers complaining about their mobile reception.
In front of the Maiden Gully fire station, there was no reception. Just 50 metres from the local shopping strip, it was difficult to make a call.
Near the shores of Lake Eppalock, where a number of fire brigades call home, the reception was equally sketchy.
The Telstra reception was almost nowhere to be seen near the Mosquito Creek fire station, as well as nearby boat ramps and holiday spots.
Since the Bendigo Advertiser ran an article on the region’s phone reception on December 29, Member for Bendigo Lisa Chesters said she had heard from more than 50 people expressing their concern.
She said few areas in her electorate were spared.
“I received a lot of calls from people in Heathcote, Huntly, Chewton and Castlemaine, as well as areas in Bendigo and Maryborough, Sedgwick, Axe Creek,” Ms Chesters said.
“Some were even right in the heart of Bendigo. I had one person say that their side of Lily Street has little reception.”
She said a number of issues had led to the telecommunications problems in Bendigo and surrounding districts, including the slowed rollout of the National Broadband Network, poor engagement with communities about planned phone towers and a lack of co-ordination between levels of government.