- High-speed, enterprise grade broadband services now available in Carnarvon Horticulture District
- Cook Government's Digital Farm Grants program helping growers to compete in a 21st century market, supporting local jobs and industry
Carnarvon growers, businesses and residents are now better connected under the Cook Government's successful Digital Farm Grants program.
A 63-metre tower and supporting infrastructure has been built to provide high-speed, enterprise-grade broadband internet to agribusinesses and communities in the Carnarvon Horticulture District and surrounding areas.
The State Government awarded a $600,000 grant to Bunbury-based network company CipherTel under the second round of the program, with additional funding and in-kind support from the Shire of Carnarvon, local growers, and businesses.
The service covers approximately 800 square kilometres across the Shire of Carnarvon, reaching about 180 agribusinesses and more than 2,900 private dwellings.
The Carnarvon Horticulture District produces a wide variety of fruit and vegetable crops, led by tomatoes, capsicum, table grapes, bananas, melons, eggplants and mangoes, with annual production valued at more than $110 million.
Comments attributed to Regional Development Minister Don Punch:
"The Digital Farm Grants program is helping connect businesses and communities in regional WA, delivering fast, reliable, affordable, and scalable broadband where fixed line and fixed wireless NBN services are not available.
"Carnarvon has a highly productive irrigated agriculture precinct, which is an important supplier of fresh fruit and vegetables for consumers in Perth and the regions.
"Through this significant infrastructure project, both local businesses and residents in the Carnarvon Horticulture District and surrounds can benefit from a more reliable internet broadband service."
Comments attributed to Member for Mining and Pastoral Peter Foster MLC:
"I thank the Cook Government for rolling out the Digital Farm Grants program to Carnarvon, one of Western Australia's key horticultural production areas.
"This newly built telecommunications infrastructure will see high-speed, enterprise-grade broadband internet reach around 180 agribusinesses and more than 2,900 private dwellings in the region.
"This will allow growers to utilise the 21st century technology needed to remain competitive and grow profitability."
