The Blue Mountains has missed out on the latest round of federal funding to improve mobile phone reception.
"This announcement really is an insult to people living in areas like Mount Tomah, which lost so many homes in the devastating Black Summer bushfires," said Federal Member for Macquarie, Susan Templeman.
"People who battled the bushfires have told me of the problems in organising crews during the crisis because they didn't have mobile coverage, and other residents expressed concern for the wellbeing of elderly residents whose personal alarms only get weak signals.
"Keep in mind this is also the area that was promised a new mobile tower by the federal government, only to have it ripped away and plonked in the NSW Central West to shore up support for the Nationals in the lead-up to an election.
"This is more than just cynical politics. This is putting lives in danger," said the Labor MP.
"This current round of funding (Round 5a) was allegedly more focused on bushfire-prone areas, or those with elevated natural disaster risk.
"You have to question, then, why the Blue Mountains area of the electorate of Macquarie received not one cent in funding, and why the bushfire and flood-prone area of the Hawkesbury received funding for just one location - Lower Macdonald," she said.
Hundreds of residents responded to a survey of local mobile black spots conducted by Ms Templeman's office last year, which also showed unreliable or non-existent mobile areas around some of the Mountains' biggest towns.
"There were huge gaps in coverage stretching from the Lower to the Upper Mountains," said Ms Templeman.
The MP has previously written to communications minister Paul Fletcher about the issue, and the need for funding under Round 5a in these priority areas.
"It's now very apparent to me that the Liberal Party - from the minister down - clearly has no interest in providing the residents of the Blue Mountains with the vital infrastructure we so desperately need," she said.
Responding to Ms Templeman's comments, Liberal Senator Marise Payne said it is the responsibility of telecommunication companies to submit an application for the funding opportunity.
"To date, the Morrison Government has delivered funding for two base stations in the Blue Mountains Local Government Area under the Mobile Black Spot Program (MBSP)," she said.
"The Labor Party has not funded one base station."
Senator Payne said the government will improve mobile connectivity in areas that fall between rural and urban zones, such as townships east of Linden, through a new Peri-Urban Mobile Program (PUMP).
"PUMP will provide grant funding to mobile network operators and infrastructure providers to deploy new mobile phone infrastructure to address mobile reception and coverage issues in peri-urban areas
"Consultation is now being conducted on the draft grant opportunity guidelines for PUMP," she said.
