Grabben Gullen Community Progress Association (GGCPA) president Scott Montgomery hopes the community meeting planned will result in improved coverage in the village.

Currently, conflicting services have resulted in users stuck between either an internet or phone service for their communications.

The tug-of-war of accessibility has been identified by Mr Montgomery as “a situation” for residents.

Running a cattle farm, he said there were many risks to the lack of service.

“There has never been a good mobile phone coverage. Grabben Gullen has always had poor mobile phone coverage,” he said. 

“We’d like to think if we’ve had an accident on a cattle yard or in the paddock, you’d like to think if something did happen, you’d have access to a mobile phone coverage and the ability to make a phone call that may or may not save your life.

“We’ve got to reinforce the fact that mobile phone coverage is intermittent here.”

A few kilometres east from the centre of Grabben Gullen, a decommissioned Telstra tower looks over the village. According to communications between the GGCPA and Telstra, there are no plans to re-commission the tower for the Black Spot Program. 

The GGCPA previously applied for a new mobile tower in the area, but was rejected. 

“This gives the community an opportunity to express their concerns. It gives us an opportunity as a collective to put pressure on politicians and decision makers,” he said.

“As for the community, we’re trying to make people aware about this. We want as many people as we can to attend.” 

A Telstra representative, MPs and Upper Lachlan Shire councillors have been invited to attend the meeting. 

GGCPA are also in preliminary talks with Beijing Jingneng Clean Energy (Australia), who run the Gullen Range Wind Farm and the Gullen Solar Farm, about land use for a possible mobile tower. 

The meeting will be held in the Grabben Community Hall on July 4 at 6.30pm. Refreshments will be available for attendees.