I am very pleased to advise that as of close of business last night all exchanges, mobile base stations, and road side cabinets in the flood affected areas of Victoria and Tasmania are now operational.

As we see a continuation of the inland sea’s movement toward the towns of Kerang and Warracknabeal, the Warracknabeal  township has managed to avoid any serious inundation due to the combined efforts of the community. In Kerang the situation is a little more serious since the towns folk have been evacuated to ensure their safety, just in case the levee banks that have been built around the town don’t hold. The towns that are now under threat are Dimboola, Jeparit, Brim, and Beulah.

Flood recovery centres have been set up in Warracknabeal, Dimboola, Jeparit, and Barham. Telstra has declared the areas of Brim, Beulah, Dingee and Jeparit as additional towns where the Telstra flood relief package is now applicable.

Helping towns recover from flooding requires the community to work together. Telstra staff members are active in local communities and here are some examples of the work that Telstra has undertaken as part of recovery efforts. We have:

• Attended the Carisbrook community meeting yesterday and will attend the community meeting in Serpentine this morning
• Visited Bridgewater to follow up on requests/issues arising at the Recovery Centre yesterday
• Provided the local policeman at Bridgewater with a country phone  and arranged communications (landline & mobile) for a local community leader to establish a Recovery/Community Centre at the local football club rooms
• One of our staff members leads a project called ‘Blaze Aid’ that will assist local farmers with the repair and build of new fencing . This operation will initially be co-ordinated from Bridgewater
• Arranged the release of  payment on payphones in Barham to assist Kerang customers who have been evacuated there and will request the release of payphones as the need arises

In Ballarat we await the waters to recede before we can meet with the communities, though we have ensured that the recovery centres in Warracknabeal, Jeparit and Dimboola are aware we stand ready to support them,  and have provided the centres with our recovery package information.  We are ready to attend upcoming town recovery meetings in these communities.

Assistance for customers:

A disaster assistance package for Telstra residential and small business customers has been announced for customers in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. The package provides practical assistance with phone services including free call diversions, and holding of customer phone numbers and email addresses. For more information:

Queensland: Media Release

Update to Telstra assistance package for Queensland customers affected by floodwaters and storms

New South Wales: Media Release

Telstra assistance package for New South Wales customers affected by floodwaters and storms

Victoria: Media release

Telstra assistance package for Victorian Shire customers affected by floodwaters and storms

Related Links

• Vic flood update no 1 from Telstra
• Telstra technology tips for flood affected areas
• Telstra assistance package for NSW customers affected by flood waters and storms
• Update to Telstra assistance package for Queensland customers affected by floodwaters and storms
• Telstra will contribute up to one million dollars to the Queensland Premier’s Flood Relief Appeal
• Dial before you dig