CONSTITUENCY STATEMENTS

Mr TED O'BRIEN (Fairfax) (10:12): Digital connectivity is not a luxury; it's an absolute necessity. But it doesn't matter whether or not you're travelling from Coolum to Kenilworth, from Bli Bli to Buderim, from Mons to Maroochydore, on the Sunshine Coast, it is not getting better; it is getting worse. We have families who are deeply concerned about another failure of the triple zero network.

We have businesses in the midst of transactions lose connection and have to tell consumers to go to the local ATM. This is not tenable at a time when we talk a lot about technology improvements. In fact, in my time as a federal MP, connectivity has started to get worse today than it was when I started.

It doesn't help that this government has cut millions of dollars from regional areas for digital connectivity. It's no wonder the ACCC is undertaking an inquiry into this very issue. But I need help.

I need help from residents across my electorate of Fairfax. If you go to tedobrien.com.au, please fill out a survey for me because I'm creating a heat map to identify those areas of the electorate which are most under threat of blackouts, of breakdowns, in connectivity. Only then can we put the right pressure on government, on other stakeholders, including the service providers.

If music is your thing, Coolum is your place. The month of October will be absolutely rocking in Coolum. It starts on the first weekend, on the fourth, in fact.

You'll have a massive session at the Coolum Beer Company headlined by Vibronics. And of course the party will only continue all the way through the month. In fact, something I'm really looking forward to is ShedMusic festival.

This is where the men's sheds get together, and it is a serious battle of the bands, I tell you. That will be over a three-day period at the Coolum Civic Centre from Friday the 16th until Sunday the 18th. Then the month will end with CoolumLive.

This is a rooftop session which is going to completely dominate throughout the streets, throughout the pubs, across the beach and right across Coolum on Saturday the 31st. Again, this has a huge headline, which will of course be Potbelleez. I encourage everybody to come along.

I want to say a very big thankyou to the Coolum Business and Tourism group, who have led the way. It's music. It's Coolum.

It's October. We'll see you there.