Leading that push is Federal Member for Farrer Sussan Ley.
Ms Ley said while some degree of patience is required when it comes to infrastructure upgrades, she agrees the Mathoura and district community has been waiting long enough to see some action.
Residents and businesses in Mathoura last week again expressed frustration to the Deniliquin Pastoral Times.
Service improvements were promised with the erection of a Telstra cell tower at Picnic Point, near Mathoura.
The project was announced in 2023 and funded in 2024, during round three of the regional connectivity program.
The grant of $719,542 was awarded to deliver a new macro mobile site and provide improved mobile coverage and capacity.
But residents who have long suffered poor service, and who say that service worsens in peak tourism periods, say the project has not started and there has been no communication with the community.
Telstra has previously suggested to the Pastoral Times that community complaints, which increased over the Christmas and New Year period, were the result of congestion.
But with ongoing service problems prompting multiple residents to reach out again last week, they say congestion cannot be the only issue at hand.
“I’m a bit like everyone, and would have much preferred the Picnic Point tower went up yesterday,” Ms Ley said.
“There is always a lag time between an announcement and the build, made much worse when this (Labor) government took a year to even sign a contract with Telstra.
“The tower needs to happen as soon as possible because it will take some of that congestion at Mathoura during holiday peaks.
“I am regularly in touch with Telstra on this, with a site location and technical assessments now underway and an estimated 12-month finish date.”
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