QLD: Phone box set to stay as hamlet rails against Telstra

AAP General News (Australia)
08-13-1999
QLD: Phone box set to stay as hamlet rails against Telstra

By Selina Day

BRISBANE, Aug 13 AAP - The 40 folk of the Queensland hamlet of Ubobo won't hear of talk
that their one Telstra pay phone should be removed.

Mustered by general store owner Dave Woods, Ubobo's population - mainly comprising dairy
farmers and timber loggers - took their case to federal and state MPs when they found out the
phone's future was under review.

But Telstra denied today it had decided to remove the phone box from the south-eastern
township, and said the device would probably stay.

Ubobo, in a picturesque valley nestled between two ranges south of Gladstone, comprised Mr
Woods' store, a Country Womens Association hall, a school of 17 students and nine dwellings.

It has no mobile phone coverage, spelling trouble for people travelling through the area -
especially considering the area floods frequently.

The nearest towns of Builyan and Many Peaks - 19km and 21km south on dirt roads - and
Calliope, 50km to the north, were too inconvenient, Mr Woods said.

"We have got private and business phones connected, but folk living out(side) of Ubobo
don't, and they have to contact places, such as Centrelink," he said.

Mr Woods said the township felt under siege from a range of issues, and if the phone box
was removed it would be the last straw.

"It's further erosion of rural services that's happening Australia-wide," Mr Woods said.

Mr Woods said the community had received no satisfaction through "official channels" so it
approached federal Nationals MP Paul Neville (Hinkler) and state MP Liz Cunningham
(Independent, Gladstone).

"We're only small so they're treating us as local hicks," Mr Woods said.

A Telstra spokeswoman said the telco had not yet entered into any discussions with Ubobo
representatives about the phone box.

But she said Telstra would not necessarily remove the box and had simply posted a routine
advice inside it advising its removal was under consideration.

"We put a notice inside the cabinet for 90 days saying we were considering removing the
box, but we would enter into community consultation," the spokeswoman said.

"It is very likely the phone will stay because we are empathetic and understanding."

AAP sd/ah/de

KEYWORD: PHONE

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