Department ofPrimary Industries andRegional Development

Connecting our regions

Access to high-calibre connectivity is a critical part of our lives in the modern digital economy.

It drives our businesses, allows visitors and residents to stay in contact with family, friends and clients around Australia and overseas, and plays an essential role in our hobbies and downtime.

WA’s regional, rural and remote residents do not always have access to all the conveniences, amenities and technologies their city counterparts take for granted.

The State Government is transforming our regions by bridging this vital gap through multiple connectivity initiatives.

The Western Australian State Government is committed to providing Western Australians, no matter where they work or live, with high quality internet services and mobile telephone coverage.

(L-R) DPIRD’s Brendan Nicholas with farmers Campbell Lloyd, Dumbleyung and Michael Long, Ongerup at Techspo, in Wagin.

The Geraldton radar is one of three coastal radars to be upgraded to Doppler capability.

(L-R) DPIRD’s Alison Lacey shows farmers Rob Rex, Wagin, and Warren Pensini, Boyup Brook a LoRaWAN demo board and IoT sensors.

Projects include:

Agricultural Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund

$22 millioneConnected Grainbelt Project $10 millionDoppler Radars Projects $28 millionRegional Telecommunications Project

$85 million

Agricultural Telecommunications Infrastructure Fund ($22 million) –

• Digital Farm Grants ($5 million), targeting clusters of farming enterprises in agricultural and pastoral regions outside the nbn Fixed Wireless and Fixed Line footprint.

• Grainbelt Digital Enhancement Project, which aims to deliver high capacity broadband and improved access to digital technology to far-reaching, broad coverage areas throughout WA’s grainbelt. (https://www.agric.wa.gov.au/n/7318)

- State Telecommunications Infrastructure Audit – (https://www.agric.wa.gov.au/n/7193)

Projects connecting our regionsOur State Government is committed to bringing ‘city-grade’ internet and mobile phone services to regional WA.

eConnected Grainbelt Project ($10 million) –

• Internet of Things (IoT) DecisionAg Grants ($580,000), 15 projects to 13 grower groups and schools

• updated weather website with improved functionality – visit weather.agric.wa.gov.au

• Updated Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) - servicing 4 to 9 million queries per month

Doppler Radars Projects ($28 million) in collaboration with the Bureau of Meteorology –

• $23 million to build three new Doppler radars in the grainbelt, at Newdegate, South Doodlakine and Watheroo.

• $5 million to upgrade three existing coastal radars to Doppler capacity at Esperance, Geraldton and Albany.

Regional Telecommunications Project ($85 million) –

• Funding mobile voice and data coverage at 262 locations across regional WA with more to come

• Piloting community-scale Wi-Fi in remote communities

For more information visit https://www.agric.wa.gov.au/n/7453 or search for projects via dpird.wa.gov.au under the Agriculture and Food tab.

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Digital Farm Grants ProgramIndicative coverage map (subject to change)

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Western AustraliaDigital Farm Grant Program

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REFERENCEProjection: Transverse MercatorDatum: Geocentric Datum of Australia 1994Grid: Map Grid of Australia 1994 Zone 50Source Data: Digital Farm Grant coverage DPIRD 2018 Development Commission boundaries DPIRD 2018 Shire boundaries Landgate 2018 Road network Geoscience Australia 2018Date: August 2018Produced by: Geographic Information Services, Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD)Job No. 2018216

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Regional Development Commission boundary

Grainbelt boundary

LogicIT Chapman Valley - Northampton Fixed Wireless Network

LogicIT North Midlands Fixed Wireless Network

Telstra/Shire of Dalwallinu - Goodlands

Pivotel - Mount Barker and South Stirlings

Pivotel - Wickepin

Superloop - Great Southern Region

Ciphertel - Southwest

Ciphertel - Kununurra

0 50 100 150 200 250

Kilometres

Western AustraliaDigital Farm Grant Program

Indicative coverage map*

I N D I A N

O C E A N

S O U T H E R N O C E A N

REFERENCEProjection: Transverse MercatorDatum: Geocentric Datum of Australia 1994Grid: Map Grid of Australia 1994 Zone 50Source Data: Digital Farm Grant coverage DPIRD 2018 Development Commission boundaries DPIRD 2018 Shire boundaries Landgate 2018 Road network Geoscience Australia 2018Date: August 2018Produced by: Geographic Information Services, Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD)Job No. 2018216

114°E

114°E

115°E

115°E

116°E

116°E

117°E

117°E

118°E

118°E

119°E

119°E

120°E

120°E

121°E

121°E

122°E

35°S

35°S

34°S

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31°S

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30°S

30°S

29°S

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28°S

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* Subject to change

Kununurra area inset

0 10 20 30 40 50

Kilometres

128°00'

128°00'

128°20'

128°20'

128°40'

128°40'

129°00'

129°00'

129°20'

129°20'

-16°

00'

-16°

00'

-15°

40'

-15°

40'

-15°

20'

-15°

20'

-15°

00'

-15°

00'

Legend

Regional Development Commission boundary

Grainbelt boundary

LogicIT Chapman Valley - Northampton Fixed Wireless Network

LogicIT North Midlands Fixed Wireless Network

Telstra/Shire of Dalwallinu - Goodlands

Pivotel - Mount Barker and South Stirlings

Pivotel - Wickepin

Superloop - Great Southern Region

Ciphertel - Southwest

Ciphertel - Kununurra

Map 1 – Digital Farm Grants Program

Map 2 – Regional Telecommunications Project