Council
1 May, 2024
Shire to advocate for emergency telecommunications
CORANGAMITE Shire Council will use its platform at a national assembly of councils to advocate for the enhancement of telecommunications services to protect regional communities during times of emergency.
The Australian Local Government Association, which represents 537 local governments, will hold the National General Assembly of Local Government in July, providing an opportunity for councils to submit motions to canvas problems, solutions and ideas facing councils and communities alike.
Corangamite Shire councillors last week voted to submit a motion which calls on the Australian Government to support regional telecommunications in four aspects.
To acknowledge reliable telecommunications services are critical in ensuring emergency management partners have strong intelligence gathering capability;
To create a model which engages telecommunications carriers, energy providers and other stakeholders to develop a framework of responsibility and maintaining back-up infrastructure;
To provide greater emphasis on backup power generation solutions to sites in case of primary power interruption, including pre-installed renewable energy options; and
For stakeholders to work collaboratively to increase telecommunications service capability in the lead up to periods of high risk and emergency to ensure systems can meet demands.
The motion was moved by Cr Jo Beard and seconded by Cr Nick Cole, who agreed Corangamite Shire Council understood the importance of the motion due to the lived experience of residents during emergency events over the past 10 years, such as bushfires, flooding and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cr Beard had brought the attention of the motion to council after East Gippsland Shire Council lodged a similar motion before the MAV Emergency Management Advisory Committee due to their experience with significant emergencies, such as a bushfire.
“It’s important to note you can’t beat facts when it comes to advocacy,” she said.
“One of the facts we’ve got is from 2018 when an operational debrief issues by Emergency Management Victoria around the south west fires.
“One of the lessons from the debreif was the telecommunications failed during the St Patrick’s Day bushfires.
“Intel they were able to collect to inform the community around what was happening on the ground, if not in terms of their emergency response, was hampered by the fact that there was limited if not no telecommunications available at all.”
Cr Beard said there needed to be accountability by telecommunications carriers and energy providers across the nation.
“If they can’t, or for whatever reason it fails, there needs to be at least a crack at having some back up,” she said.
“Particularly not during emergency events but on high risk days when we know that the services are going to come under a heavy load.
“There needs to certainly be more done in this space – it’s an expectation now when we’re told that everyone has a phone, and the way in which we’re expected to react when there’s an emergency in our area is by phone and emergency maps.
“This needs to be better than what it is.”
Cr Cole, a CFA volunteer of 50 years, said while the technology has changed – the issues with getting it to work have not.
“You get in black spots and it’s dangerous,” he said.
“We don’t know what’s going on, where it’s all happening, what to do.
“It makes it much harder to do your job in those situations when no one can contact you.
“They always say the first thing that goes out the window with these problems is the truth, well I’d say it’s communication.”
Councillors supported the motion unanimously.
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