Auditor-General will not investigate location of Kingstown phone tower

The audit was denied on the basis there was no indication that property ownership was part of the assessment or decision-making process for where the tower, championed by Member for New England Barnaby Joyce, was placed.

The Telstra tower was arranged on the property by the previous owners and the telecommunication giant.

The audit request made by Shadow Regional Communications Minister Stephen Jones has been called a farce by Mr Joyce.

"Stephen Jones is trying to make political mileage, let's remind everybody about this," he said.

"We fought for and got the money for Kingstown and I know that there are issues with the reception there.

"I don't want it to be a waste of taxpayers' money because it's a waste of a substantial amount of taxpayers' money."

Kingstown residents asked that the tower, switched on in March, be co-located with an existing police and emergency services tower.

Resident Kathy Pope lives on a parcel of land on the Sundown Valley property.

Ms Pope made a submission to Telstra to have the tower on the hill behind her house, that application was denied.

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Now, she has taken Telstra to the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal for issues with reception on her mobile and landline that she argues put her out of business.

"It's just been a nightmare," she said.

A Telstra spokeswoman would not comment on the matter before the tribunal but said the goal of the MBS program is to maximise coverage and the rules are set by the federal government.

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