Digital Economy Minister Philip Dalidakis spoke to mayors from four North East municipalities who were keen to press their case for more towers to fix their blackspots.

Victoria has announced $11 million in funding, after Mr Dalidakis said the federal government “bastardised and politicised” its round three of funding, then abandoned the program.

“They went around to their candidates and sitting MPs and asked them to nominate sites in electorates to be funded and we just don’t believe that was an appropriate way of site selection,” he said.

The North East has been told the Labor government will not shun the area because it is made up of Liberal and Nationals-held seats.

Priority will be given to areas without mobile phone coverage, but with a high bushfire and flood risk.

“You have my 100 per cent guaranteed commitment that will be the case – we are a government for all people across Victoria,” Mr Dalidakis said.

“We have our Emergency Commissioner Craig Lapsley working through site selection, then we’ll have a look at other sites and economic necessity, ensuring communities right across the region can also have confidence that they’re not being ignored.”

He said he did not want economies left behind, and broadband internet was a right for children going through school.

“We want to make sure that regardless of where you live in Victoria, you have access to both services and opportunity to ensure people don’t feel the need to leave their local communities,” he said.

“That political attack, people are over that. They want to see delivery.”

Indi MP Cathy McGowan said she was still hopeful the federal government would announce more funding for mobile blackspots.

“My real call is to Senator Bridget McKenzie, minister for Regional Communications, to get behind round four and then come back into the fold and work with the Victorian government so that wherever you are in Australia, you can access your mobile phone,” she said.

People’s lives are at risk without access to mobile phone coverage, Indigo’s mayor has warned.

Cr Jenny O’Connor said getting more towers for the North East was “absolutely critical” and the community all had enough of poor coverage and appalling NBN.

“We’ve got connectivity that belongs in a third-world country so it’s time they fixed it,” she said. 

“When there’s a fire or an emergency we’ve got no phone coverage in areas that are populated, that are important through ways for people to escape and to get away from where they’re at risk, and we saw that where the Indigo Valley fire happened.”

Wodonga mayor Anna Speedie said she was thankful for government investment to support growth and connectivity.

“Our economies are being held back because we don’t have great coverage,” she said.

“We need to be able to have the coverage that sustains those businesses into the future.”