Disaster relief for flood-affected customers in Queensland

We’ve activated an assistance package for our customers in Maryborough, Gympie, Kilkivan and surrounding areas in Queensland who have been displaced or disrupted due to flooding.
Campbell Simpson · 11 January 2022 · 3 minute read

Strong rain causing rising floodwaters have affected Telstra phone and internet services in some towns in the region, including:

  • Maryborough
  • Gympie
  • Kilkivan
  • Booyal
  • Woolooga
  • Mt Kanigan
  • Kanigan
  • Goomeri
  • Curra
  • Gunalda
  • Bells Bridge
  • Tiaro
  • Poona
  • Boonooroo
  • Maarom
  • Bauple

Our technicians are in the area and are working hard to get impacted services back online as soon as they can, where they can work safely. We know that this is a difficult time for everyone in these communities, and that it’s vital for people to be able to stay in touch with family and friends.

While this restoration work continues, our assistance package provides help with access to extra mobile data, call diversions and free calls in some instances. There is also long-term assistance available for anyone who has suffered severe damage to or loss to their premises.

Postcodes covered by the Telstra assistance package:

  • 4650
  • 4600
  • 4671
  • 4570
  • 4601
  • 4621

If you’re in a disaster-impacted area, give us a call on 1800 888 888 to speak with our disaster assistance team.

Our assistance packages for short- and long-term disruptions

Payphones in the area are already able to make free local and national calls to standard fixed line numbers and free calls to standard Australian mobile numbers, after we made payphones free in August 2021. During this flooding situation, we will also be allowing free use of the Telstra Air Wi-Fi network at locations where payphones are equipped to provide this.

If you’ve been displaced from your home during this disaster, we’re here to help. We’ve activated an assistance package that gives our customers both short- and long-term measures to help out; that assistance can range from extra data on your mobile and free call diversions to a one-off credit to help cover the cost of getting a fixed phone service back up and running.

Our assistance package gives Telstra customers access to free and interim services during short-term impacts from damaging weather, with long-term measures also available for customers who have suffered severe damage or loss of their homes and businesses.

If you’re a Telstra customer living in one of the areas we’ve listed, we’ll send you an SMS with a link to request a disaster assistance package. You can also find out more about our disaster assistance packages here.

If you need a temporary diversion for a landline phone to an alternate number, or for other long-term assistance, please contact us.

Further information on disaster assistance from the Federal Government is available on the Disaster Assist website. You can also find more information at the Queensland Government’s disaster assistance website.

Our assistance packages for affected customers can include the following:

Short term measures (for Telstra customers who have suffered a short-term impact, evacuation or fault):

  • Calls diverted from a fixed line service to another number while you’re displaced from your residence or business (to Australian numbers only)
  • 25GB data pack for post-paid mobile customers (30-day expiry, not transferrable to another service)
  • 25GB prepaid data and free calls (30-day expiry, not transferrable to another service)

There may also be longer term assistance available for Telstra customers who have suffered severe damage to or loss of their premises and require longer term assistance.

Long-term measures (for Telstra customers who have suffered severe damage to or loss of their premises):

  • Free call diversion from the customer’s Telstra fixed phone service to another Australian fixed or mobile service of their choice, regardless of the carrier
  • A one-off credit to the customer’s Telstra fixed phone account to cover the costs of connecting a Telstra fixed phone service at one temporary address, and
  • Re-connection of a Telstra fixed phone service at the customer’s original permanent address.

Topics

By Campbell Simpson

External Editorial Lead

Campbell is our External Editorial Lead and manages the Telstra Exchange website. He came to Telstra with over a decade of experience in technology journalism at websites like Gizmodo, CNET and PC World, and has a long-time love of tech and gadgets of all kinds. When he's not writing, Cam spends his downtime outdoors whenever possible.

Related articles