THEWEEKLYTIMES.COM.AU WEDNESDAY AUGUST 15 2018 COUNTRY LIVING 3

Strong signal: Rural women behind the lobby group Biteline Better Internet for Rural, Regional and Remote Australia from The surf’s up left. Amanda Salisbury, Kristy Sparrow, Julie and salmon Stott, Kylie Stretton and is rolling in Kristen Coggan. Picture: GARY RAMAGE SURF fishing for salmon is the most consistent option for saltwater anglers. In the southwest, beaches from Discovery Bay to Yambuk produced specimens weighing up to about 2kg. Salmon were also caught along the west coast from Aire River to Torquay, and along Bass Coast beaches, where and Venus Bay both fished well. In , salmon, and sometimes tailor, were caught on pilchards and lures at beaches from Lakes Entrance through to Mallacoota. Jim Credlin at Swan Hill says weather conditions kept most anglers off the rivers. At Swan Hill, Murray cod to 73cm were caught on black and white Oargee lures, and on baits including bardi grubs. Cod were also caught on lures and bait in the Murrabit area, and in Merran Creek with the casting of bibbed lures and spinnerbaits. The Western District lakes are Online warriors unusually slow for this time of year. John Clements at Lake Purrumbete reports fly fishers HEY linger outside Target “Regional Australia has very working the Quarries and Rainbow Country, heads bowed, faces specific telecommunications needs Point at Lake Purrumbete have A group of busy rural women have become unlikely hooked brown and rainbow trout to lit in a white glow and and they can’t be lumped into those 1kg and Chinook salmon to 700g. fingers clawed around agitators for improved internet access for the bush, of the city,” Kristy says from At Lake Bullen Merri, Chinook mobile phones. Canberra, where the group met to salmon and rainbow trout to 1.5kg TThumbs fly as the teenagers writes ALEXANDRA LASKIE lobby the government, NBN and were caught from shore by anglers huddled in Mansfield’s main drag service providers to help underserved using Powerbait, pilchard and stream videos, scroll through option, researched and then also runs Clancella Downs, a beef and rural NBN customers. glassie baits. Lakes Bolac and Instagram feeds and FaceTime chat recommended an internet provider free-range egg operation in Charters “A connection can be affected by Tooliorook are slow for small friends. that offered her greater speeds and Towers, to set up their Facebook the weather and livestock, and people numbers of rainbow trout to 1.4kg. While lined up outside the more data for almost half the cost. All group in 2014. in the current climate with the The Hopkins and Merri rivers near Warrnambool, and department store in a small town in for free. “We were discussing our mobile drought don’t have time to Moorabool Reservoir produced ’s High Country, few would “When it was cloudy outside our broadband internet and we were both continually troubleshoot. When they brown trout. have any intention of making a connection would drop out. So we running out of data every month but have an issue they need to know it Flatline trolling Tassie Devil purchase. No, they’re there for changed to another provider on it was just so difficult to get will be resolved in that first call, not lures in Lake Eildon has enticed Target’s reliable, fast and free BIRRR’s recommendation and information out of Telstra, so we 15 calls later,” the mother of 16-year- brown trout. In the Pondage, bait internet access they can connect to everything changed overnight,” started a group to share information,” old twins says. fishing with Powerbait and fly without having to step a foot inside Carolyn, who founded and runs an Kristy says on the birth of BIRRR, The group’s trip to Canberra at the fishing yielded small rainbow trout. the store. investment scheme for organic their not-for-profit advocacy group. end of July was a milestone on two In the southwest at Portland, It’s a similar story at McDonald’s farming, says. The group grew quickly, as did its fronts. It was the first time all six John Johnstone reports few opportunities for boating anglers restaurants right across regional and “We’re still very strict with the team of voluntary administrators. BIRRR administrators had met in the due to the weather. rural Australia. kids’ usage but we’re very grateful we They welcomed fellow flesh. Shore-based anglers fishing “They can get better internet can work from home. It should be a Queenslanders Kristen Coggan from It was also hoped their long from the Lee Breakwater have access at McDonald’s than they can fundamental right, for small business Condamine and Amanda Salisbury journey to the nation’s capital — caught snapper to 6.5kg and in our house,” Bonnie Doon organic owners and students.” from Monto in 2015. subsidised by a crowd-funding gummy sharks to about 7kg, and lamb and beef producer Carolyn It was this same dogged belief — Julie Scott from Oberon in NSW campaign two years ago — would Portland Canal has produced silver Suggate says of her three children’s that living in regional or rural came on board in 2016 and finally convince those in power it was high trevally. In the estuaries, the penchant for prolonged visits to their Australia shouldn’t be a handicap to a Claire Butler, from Clare in NSW, time they handed over their Glenelg River at Nelson produced nearest restaurant to make-up for reliable and efficient internet earlier this year. increasing workload, which is being mulloway to about 80cm on live bait, pilchard and squid. Bream and their data shortfall at home. connection — that spurred Kristy Since the group was set up almost juggled by women running full-time estuary perch were also caught. A few years ago her family of five and fellow Queenslander Kylie four years ago, the NBN has been farming businesses and raising The Surry and Fitzroy rivers was struggling to divvy up their 40GB Stretton, owner and manager of steadily rolled out across regional families. were consistent for bream and monthly NBN Sky Muster download Northern Livestock Services who and remote Australia, almost entirely “It has come to a time where we mullet, and Yambuk Lake opened allowance between two via slower fixed wireless and satellite shouldn’t be doing this any more, it’s to the sea and produced bream. farm businesses and networks than the fibre connecting too big a role for a volunteer group. In Port Phillip Bay, metre-long three data-hungry households in the cities. We’ve heard the government is using mulloway were taken at Newport, children, one of whom Almost all of the people the group us as a resource,” Kristy says. while estuary perch and bream was completing Year 12. helps are among the 7 per cent of Amanda stresses the sentiment. were caught at Patterson Lakes. In the Gippsland Lakes, bream That was until she Australians living in areas too remote “There’s a desperate need and no one and mullet were caught in the came across a Facebook for it to be economically viable for is stepping into the void to help Mitchell, Tambo and Nicholson group with the impossibly the government to connect them to a people out. But we were very clear rivers, Hollands Landing, Toms long but tantalising name fibre network. that we shouldn’t have to carry this Creek and Blonde Bay. Good “Better Internet for Rural, While most of the BIRRR load for much longer,” she says. results were had using sandworm, Regional and Remote volunteers’ time is spent From her 6000ha beef stud and prawn and spider crab. Australia”. With more troubleshooting internet access and cattle grazing property at Upson The Metung wharf and rock wall than 10,800 members, it connectivity issues, an increasing Downs, she says never in her wildest produced bream, silver trevally and was clear the Suggate amount is spent lobbying the Federal dreams did she expect to be fluent in flathead on baits including prawn, pipi and sandworm. family wasn’t the only one Government and “tech talk”, “knowing what lag and Town jetties at Lakes Entrance experiencing connectivity telecommunications providers for latency means. Like everyone else I were consistent for mullet while issues in the bush. bush broadband and voice service just want to switch the damn thing on luderick were caught from the rock One of the group’s accessibility, reliability and and have it work”. wall. Lake Tyers had bream taking founders, Kristy Sparrow, a affordability, as well as customer Despite living thousands of prawn baits in Devils Hole, and beef cattle grazier in central service guarantees. kilometres apart, Kristy says the flathead striking lures. western Queensland, In the run-up to a federal election, group is bound by a desire to bridge In , good size helped Carolyn source they’re also hoping to pressure the Australia’s digital divide. bream were caught at Marlo, information about where government to set up independent “We don’t profess to know Bemm River, Tamboon Inlet and the Top Lake in Mallacoota Inlet. her closest transmission advisory hubs that people can visit for everything. We’re just here to help — Steve Cooper tower was, and upon finding advice on the best connection, people and ensure regional Australia out satellite was their only provider and plan for their property. isn’t left behind.”

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