Brimpaen farmer and Horsham Rural City councillor David Grimble said representatives from property consultant Daly International were approaching property owners in the region, on behalf of Optus, to find a suitable site for a new phone tower.

“They are actively looking for sites and seeking expressions of interests from landowners,” he said.

“It’s a really positive move. Maybe this development from Optus could even trigger other telecommunications companies to also investigate sites for a phone tower.”

Mobile blackspots have been an ongoing issue for the Wartook Valley and Laharum region. The area missed out on a phone tower in round one of the federal government’s mobile blackspot program last year. 

“The community has been crying out for better phone coverage – it’s something that has been on the radar for a long time,” Cr Grimble said.

An Optus spokesperson said the company was committed to improving coverage across Victoria.

“We are exploring options to boost coverage across the region,” the spokesperson said. “We want to provide our regional customers with better coverage and faster, more reliable mobile internet.”

The spokesperson said Optus would consult with the community when examining new sites for mobile infrastructure.

“We look forward to continuing to work alongside stakeholders as we improve our coverage across the region,” the spokesperson said.