THE State Government is set to invest 550 million dollars to address mobile and broadband connectivity issues around the State.

An interactive map is now available on the Engage Victoria website, which will be used to determine where money should be spent.

Users can drop a marker on a location where they believe mobile or broadband access needs to be improved.

Member for Mildura Ali Cupper said this is a valuable opportunity to finally address coverage issues in and around Wemen.

“There’s so many areas in my electorate where there is little to no data coverage,” Ms Cupper said.

“Some of the most notorious spots are in and around Wemen, Sea Lake and Hopetoun.

“The data signal drops out every couple of kilometres; it’s patchy at best, and non-existent for the most part.”

Ms Cupper said our rural areas deserve recognition and basic services, as improvements could potentially save lives.

“In an emergency, being in a mobile blackspot or ‘grey spot’ could be the difference between life and death,” she said.

“If we can get more reliable coverage, it provides an essential safety net for travellers, and convenience and reliability for farms and businesses who operate in the region.

“I’d appeal to all communities in my electorate with data dead zones to put their cases forward.”

Community members can head to https://engage.vic.gov.au/connecting-victoria to make their voices heard.

Consultation closes on September 20.

The first locations to receive upgrades or new infrastructure are expected to be announced later this year.