Mayor sets the record straight on council’s decision

Naracoorte Lucindale mayor Patrick Ross has set the record straight by explaining why the council chose not to allocate ratepayer funds to Telstra’s Limestone Coast Connectivity Project which had only two mobile base stations earmarked for the district.

Mr Ross emphasised that while the council supported improved connectivity in the region, it was not prepared to use limited public funds to subsidise infrastructure that Telstra—a major telecommunications provider—had a responsibility to deliver.

The mayor’s comments follow claims made by MacKillop MP Nick McBride in our Hard Talk segment of June 25 titled “Council are struggling” where the local member said the council “ignored a mobile telephone development”.

“Coming to Naracoorte, they have a strong council for standing on their own two feet; they really are trying to manage things and stick to their knitting, but on the same side of the token, I saw them ignore a mobile telephone development that had local councils, state government, federal government, the forestry sector, and the local telco, Telstra—roll out 27 towers, and Naracoorte Lucindale Council decided this wasn’t their charter,” Mr McBride said in the Hard Talk article.

“So, he said Naracoorte Lucindale missed out on four towers; they got only two,” he said.

In a statement issued to The [Naracoorte] News correcting Mr McBride, Mr Ross said he was surprised to see the MP singled out the council for not contributing ratepayer funds to be a partner with Telstra (and others) in the rollout of mobile phone towers as part of the project.

“Council saw this exercise as Australia’s largest telco seeking funds from our limited pool to deliver a service that, in our view, Telstra had obligations to deliver.

“Telstra prides itself on its regional reach and ‘building a brilliantly connected future so everyone can thrive’. We are happy to support and work with them as they aim to reach this goal, but not at an unnecessary cost to our ratepayers.

“And what impact did making this stand have on our community? To correct Mr McBride, Naracoorte Lucindale did not ‘miss out’ on four towers and ‘got only two’.”

He said the project always had two mobile base stations earmarked for Naracoorte Lucindale.

The mayor said Mr McBride was, however, 100 percent correct on another score.

“At Naracoorte Lucindale, we do try to stand on our own two feet. But we are also, when appropriate, willing to work with partners in the best interests of our ratepayers.

“Ultimately, this is the number one principal role of a council—it says so in the legislation,” he said.

The mayor said he was interested to read our Hard Talk segment and fully agreed that regional councils, with smaller numbers of ratepayers, faced very different challenges than their metro cousins.

“You don’t have to look too far into the Local Government Act—sections 6 and 7—to see that all councils, no matter how small, are now responsible for much more than roads, rates, and rubbish.

“We also have functions in relation to growth and economic development, health, welfare and well-being, risk and hazard mitigation, environmental sustainability, infrastructure, tourism—the list goes on.”

He said smaller councils were constantly being leant on by the state in times of crisis.

“…remember how councils rolled up their sleeves and took a lead during Covid…and left to try to navigate issues such as childcare availability, health service provision, and a myriad of other issues that should sit firmly with other tiers of government,” Mr Ross added.

This article appeared in The Naracoorte News, 9 July 2025.