With a population of only 77, Torrington’s contact with the outside world can be at best difficult, and at worst, life threatening.
Three weeks ago, the tiny village in northern NSW was rocked by a violent home invasion that left Keith Blessing, 75, and his wife, 72-year-old Diane Blessing, fighting for their lives in hospital.
Much of the village receives little to no mobile reception, with friends of the Blessings unable to find out what had happened.
About 40 residents gathered at the community hall south-west of Tenterfield today to raise concerns about the lack of mobile reception and what it meant in an emergency.
Residents discuss issues after the alleged home invasion and stabbing of two people. (ABC News)
One of the couple’s daughters, Kathy Blessing, said her mother was pushing for improved mobile reception for the village.
“It was really important for my parents to call Triple Zero (000) and get help,” she said.
“I’d just like to for everyone to be able to pick up their phone and call Triple Zero if they need to.”
Ms Blessing said her parents were “improving” but had a lot of recovery ahead of them.
“It’s a long way to go yet, a lot of medical appointments, a lot of counselling appointments,” she said.
“But we are getting there.
“They’re going to be a lot more security conscious going forward.”
Di and Keith Blessing are continuing to recover from their injuries. (Supplied: Facebook)
Reassurance and lobbying
Joshua Dylan Trethewey, 34, has been charged with two counts of wounding with intent to murder and one charge of aggravated break and enter and committing an indictable offence.
He remains in hospital under guard but has awoken from an induced coma and was formally refused bail in a bedside hearing on Thursday.
Mr Trethewey will return to court in August.
Inspector James Parsons from the New England Police District spoke at the meeting and sought to reassure the community that what had occurred was “an extremely rare incident”.
Inspector James Parsons says mobile connectivity is a concern for Torrington. (ABC News)
He said mobile connectivity in the region was important to him from a crime and an emergency management perspective, and that the issue would be raised at local emergency management meetings.
“If there’s a fire barrelling down on Torrington, I’d like to think that the RFS [Rural Fire Service] could send out a geo-text and everyone in the area that needs to know will see that,” Inspector Parsons said.
Janelle Saffin says the community will need to agitate in order to get mobile coverage upgraded. (ABC News)
State MP Janelle Saffin said she was working with federal MP Barnaby Joyce to push for upgraded reception and had received an initial response after writing to federal communications minister Anika Wells.
On behalf of the community, both MPs will push the federal government to act as quickly as possible to establish universal outdoor mobile coverage across the region.
“We’re going to have to drive and push and say it’s got to happen quickly,” Ms Saffin said.
