Local news for local people
Black Springs finally gets some mobile phone coverage
August 27, 2026
Like a dream come true
It's finally happened. After years of waiting and a lot of work by the Black Springs community, there is now reliable mobile phone coverage in Black Springs. It's limited right now to areas around the Community Hall and the tennis courts at the Recreation Ground, but it's a start.
The Black Springs Community Association has installed two Telstra GO mobile repeaters, with thanks to The Pines Wind Farm who provided $5,000 from their Early Community Sponsorship Program.
Andrew Sempell and Glen Stewart make the big
announcement.
Black Springs Community Association President Andrew Sempell said the new repeaters were an important achievement for the village.
"This has been eight years in the making for our community, so to finally be able to stand here and make a reliable mobile phone call is pretty special," Andrew said.
"Poor reception is something locals have learnt to live with, but when there's an emergency, you don't want residents, visitors or emergency responders having to worry about whether they can get a signal.
"For us, it's about knowing that locals and people visiting Black Springs now have somewhere they can go when they need to get connected. That's going to make a real difference.
"We're very grateful to The Pines Wind Farm for backing our idea and providing the funding that allowed us to finally make it happen."
The Pines Wind Farm Community Representative and long-time Oberon local Glen Stewart said reliable mobile connectivity was particularly important for smaller rural communities.
"Black Springs Community Association has driven this from the beginning. They understood the problem, kept looking for answers and found a way forward that works for Black Springs," Glen said. "Living in this region, you see firsthand how resourceful our smaller communities are. Sometimes local groups already know what they need and just need the support to make it happen - and that's exactly what this program is here to do."
Visible evidence at the Recreation Ground.
The quest to get adequate mobile phone coverage in Black Springs has now been going on for nine years. That's nine years during which the residents of the town have been asking for something that the majority of the population of Australia take for granted. There have been plans, grants, arguments about where to put the tower, submissions to all levels of government, ... . Coverage might be limited now but and at last you can make a call the NRMA if your car breaks down, ring the family to say you will be late home, call 000 when you need the police or an ambulance, use Google Maps if you are planning a trip into the forests, or any of the other countless ways we've come to rely on those magic rectangles we all carry. Emergency responders and tourists won't miss being cut off from the rest of the world just because they choose to be in Black Springs.
The Early Community Sponsorship Program provides $50,000 in funding each year during the planning and approvals phase of The Pines Wind Farm to support community-led initiatives across the Oberon and Bathurst LGAs. As of May 2026, the program had supported 24 projects across the region, with $100,000 awarded to grassroots community initiatives.
Thank you to Savannah Fielder of Crossman for the quotes.
Disclaimer: Oberon Matters has no editorial opinion either way on the matter of wind towers near Oberon. This article is for public information only. Please see our position of total neutrality.
