As bushfires continue to burn across New South Wales, we know our residential and small business customers are doing it tough. We’re here to help with an assistance package available for those affected.

Updated – Thursday 5th December 2019: We have announced an assistance package for residential and small business customers in New South Wales who have lost services due to fire in the below areas.

Customers impacted by the Currowan Fire in the Eurobodalla & Shoalhaven areas: Currowan, Depot Beach, Durras North, East Lynne, Flat Rock, Pebbly Beach,South Durras,Termeil, Bawley Point, Kioloa and Pretty Beach.

Customers impacted by the North Black Range Fire in the Queanbeyan Palerang area: Bombay, Little Bombay and Majors Creek.

Please read on to understand the relief packages available to you if you are in these areas.

Monday 11th November 2019: An assistance package is available for NSW customers who have lost service in the following areas:

Bellangry; Bowraville; Burrell Creek; Comara; Coopernook; Coraki; Doon Doon; Elands; Emmaville; Failford; Fernhill; Forster; Glen Innes; Glenreagh; Hallidays Point; Harrington; Huonbrook; Jackadgery; Koorainghat; Laurieton; Macksville; Marlee; Moorland; Newton Boyd; Nimbin; Nymboida; Old Bar; Port Macquarie; Rappville; Red Range; Rollands Plains; Southbank; Taree; Taylors Arm; The Channon; Tingha; Tinonee; Toorooka; Toronto; Torrington; Wandsworth; Wherrol Flat; Yarras, and Yarrowitch.

We understand how important it is to reach out to friends and family during times of crisis, and we want to do all we can to help our customers. The assistance package provides customers with access to free and interim services during the recovery period, in addition to providing the wider community with free calls and free Telstra Air Wi-Fi through local payphones.

A number of Telstra services have also been affected and our teams are working to restore them as quickly as possible. In some cases, adverse conditions are preventing us from reaching some areas but we will attend as soon as it’s safe to do so.

Customers who have had to evacuate their home or have lost their home are encouraged to call us 132 203 (then enter their full home phone number including area code when prompted) to report a fault and register for the assistance package.

Telstra’s relief packages can include the following:

Short term measures (for Telstra customers who have a short term impact – temporary evacuation of premises or temporary fault):

• Free use of Telstra public payphones in the affected areas
• Free use of Telstra Air payphone hotspots in the affected areas
• Free call diversion from an affected fixed home or business phone service to another fixed or mobile service of the customer’s choice, regardless of the carrier
• Customers who use the free call diversion to divert their affected fixed home or business phone to their Telstra mobile service can also make local and STD® calls on their mobile at fixed-line rates, in accordance with their selected plan (limited to one designated Telstra mobile per affected household or business)
• Affected Telstra mobile customers who do not have a Telstra home phone can receive a one-off credit to the value of $100 inc. GST (limited to one mobile phone per Telstra mobile account).

The above offers are applicable until network damage in the area due to fire is repaired, or while customers remain evacuated, for a maximum period of three months from the date of the fires.

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. This offer is applicable for a maximum period of 6 months from the date of the fire.
• In addition, Telstra will apply a one-off credit to the value of $500 inc. GST to the customer’s Telstra fixed phone account to help cover the costs of the following, if required:
  • Connection of a Telstra fixed phone service at one temporary residence
  • Re-connection of a Telstra fixed phone service at the customer’s original permanent premises

Please remember to stay safe and listen to warnings from authorities.

Over 60 bushfires are currently burning across Queensland, with weather conditions expected to worsen in the coming days. A dozen homes have been lost and many residents have been displaced or had their mobile, landline and internet services interrupted.

We know that now it is more important than ever for our customers to be able to connect with loved ones, which is why we have invoked our disaster assistance package in the following areas:

Beechmont, Boreen Point, Lower Beechmont, Noosaville, Pechey and Tarome in the state’s south and Cobraball, Yeppoon and Bungundarra in central Queensland.

If you are a customer living in one of these communities, you may be eligible for mobile phone credit and call diversion. The wider community can access free Telstra public payphones and Telstra Air payphone hotspots in the affected areas during the recovery period.

Our advice from authorities is that weather conditions are expected to escalate, so we will continue to work closely with them as the situation unfolds and update eligible areas if required.

For many Queenslanders this is a frightening time, but please know that we are with you and will do all we can to provide support in your time of need. Customers who have had to evacuate or have lost their home are encouraged to call us on 132 203 to report a fault and register for the assistance package.

Our teams are working to restore impacted services as quickly as possible. In some cases, poor conditions are preventing us from reaching some areas but we will attend as soon as it’s safe to do so.

In the meantime, we will keep our customers and the wider community across impacts to Telstra services and continue to work closely with local councils to assist with the recovery effort.

Telstra’s relief packages can include the following:

Short term measures (for Telstra customers who have a short term impact – temporary evacuation of premises or temporary fault):

• Free use of Telstra public payphones in the affected areas
• Free use of Telstra Air payphone hotspots in the affected areas
• Free call diversion from an affected fixed home or business phone service to another fixed or mobile service of the customer’s choice, regardless of the carrier
• Customers who use the free call diversion to divert their affected fixed home or business phone to their Telstra mobile service, can also make local and STD® calls on their mobile at fixed line rates, in accordance with their selected plan (limited to one designated Telstra mobile per affected household or business)
• Affected Telstra mobile customers who do not have a Telstra home phone can receive a one-off credit to the value of $100 inc. GST (limited to one mobile phone per Telstra mobile account).

The above offers are applicable until network damage in the area due to fire is repaired, or while customers remain evacuated, for a maximum period of three months from the date of the fires.

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

Fixed services

• 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. This offer is applicable for a maximum period of 6 months from the date of the fire.
• In addition, Telstra will apply a one off credit to the value of $500 inc. GST to the customer’s Telstra fixed phone account to help cover the costs of the following, if required:
• Connection of a Telstra fixed phone service at one temporary residence
• Re-connection of a Telstra fixed phone service at the customer’s original permanent premises

Please remember to stay safe and listen to warnings from authorities.

In the past week, devastating fires are have ripped through northern New South Wales damaging homes and infrastructure in areas including Rappville, Ewingar and Drake. Many homes were reduced to rubble, with horrible weather conditions wreaking havoc for emergency services.

My thoughts are with the many people who have lost their homes, and the communities that are still in shock over these unprecedented fires. We understand that now it is more important than ever to be able to reach out to friends and family, so if you are living in these communities, you may be eligible for assistance through our disaster relief package.

That means you can access free Telstra public payphones and Telstra Air payphone hotspots in the affected areas. Our customers may also be eligible for mobile phone credit and call diversion. These free and interim services will be for areas including; Drake, Tabulam, Ewingar, Busbys Flat, Wyan, Rappville, Ellangowan, Myrtle Creek, Bungawalbin and Jackadgery during the recovery period.

Customers who have had to evacuate or have lost their home are encouraged to call us on 132 203 to report a fault and register for the assistance package.

Our teams are working to restore impacted services as quickly as possible. In some cases, poor conditions are preventing us from reaching some areas but we will attend as soon as it’s safe to do so.

In the meantime, we will keep our customers and the wider community across impacts to Telstra services and continue to work closely with local councils to assist with the recovery effort.

Telstra’s relief packages can include the following:

Short term measures (for Telstra customers who have a short term impact – temporary evacuation of premises or temporary fault):

• Free use of Telstra public payphones in the affected areas
• Free use of Telstra Air payphone hotspots in the affected areas
• Free call diversion from an affected fixed home or business phone service to another fixed or mobile service of the customer’s choice, regardless of the carrier
• Customers who use the free call diversion to divert their affected fixed home or business phone to their Telstra mobile service, can also make local and STD® calls on their mobile at fixed line rates, in accordance with their selected plan (limited to one designated Telstra mobile per affected household or business)
• Affected Telstra mobile customers who do not have a Telstra home phone can receive a one-off credit to the value of $100 inc. GST (limited to one mobile phone per Telstra mobile account).

The above offers are applicable until network damage in the area due to fire is repaired, or while customers remain evacuated, for a maximum period of three months from the date of the fires.

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

Fixed services

• 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. This offer is applicable for a maximum period of 6 months from the date of the fire.
• In addition, Telstra will apply a one off credit to the value of $500 inc. GST to the customer’s Telstra fixed phone account to help cover the costs of the following, if required:
• Connection of a Telstra fixed phone service at one temporary residence
• Re-connection of a Telstra fixed phone service at the customer’s original permanent premises

In the meantime, we will keep our customers and the wider community across impacts to Telstra services and continue to work closely with emergency services and local councils to assist with the recovery effort.