Mobile Network Hardening Program Round 3—Project Noticeboard

Macedon Ranges Resilience Upgrade

Enhance mobile network resilience in the Macedon Ranges to mitigate bushfire, storm, and flood risks. The Macedon Ranges are highly susceptible to weather events and bushfires, such as the Ash Wednesday fires, Lancefield Benloch fires in 2015, recent storms in 2021, and floods in 2022.

Have shown how inadequate mobile infrastructure currently is to ensure reliable communication during emergencies. Communities such as Woodend, Gisborne, Lancefield, Riddells Creek and Romsey were left without mobile services during the fires and the recent weather events.

Upgrade existing infrastructure to withstand extreme weather conditions. Implement backup power solutions to ensure continuous operation during power outages.

By addressing these issues, the electorate of McEwen can significantly improve its mobile network resilience and coverage, ensuring better preparedness and response during natural disasters.

The Alexandra communications tower fails during power outages. It has a reticulated power supply, and only 4-hour battery backup. Once this fails, the communication network goes down in Alexandra, Thornton, Taggerty and Acheron. This causes numerous safety risks:

• District with high incidence of declared natural disasters (6 in two years)
• Safety of first responders put at risk without communications network
• Town isolated by fire, storm and flood
• Frequent power outages, sometimes lasting for days
• Businesses relying on EFTPOS and ATMs cannot operate
• No access to cash in the town for essential purchases
• Night collisions with wildlife (kangaroos, wombats and deer) alarmingly frequent
• Two busy state highways, acknowledged TAC accident black spot
• Outages potentially dangerous - vulnerable individuals with medical conditions

Improve mobile coverage in Mitchell Shire to address both bushfire and flood vulnerabilities.

Mitchell Shire experiences frequent natural disasters, including the Black Saturday, Kilmore-Mickleham complex fire, 2021 storms, and 2022 floods. 

Wallan and Kilmore experienced limited mobile coverage, which hampered emergency response and communication. Upgrade existing infrastructure to improve resilience against natural disasters.

The undulating hills of Nillumbik Shire make its northern towns particularly hard to communicate with at the best of times. The towns of Strathewen, St Andrew's, Christmas Hills, Smith's Gully, Kangaroo Ground, Bend of Islands, and Panton Hill are all surrounded by bush. Built-up areas are downwind from the Mt Disappointment State Forest and the Kinglake National Park to the north.

Because of the line of sight issues due to the undulating hills it is a particularly challenging area for telecommunications. There are many mobile black spots riddled through these locations, affecting communication during natural disasters like the 2009 Black Saturday Bushfires and the 2021 storms. Mobile coverage impacted the safety and connectivity of residents. This is a highly challenging area for telecommunications on a good day, due to the line of sight problems.

More collaboration with Telcos to provide new mobile towers and improve existing infrastructure.

The enhancements would deliver mobile network resilience during natural disasters, ensuring continuous communication. Faster recovery leading to reduced downtime and faster restoration of services post-disaster. Improved safety and communication for residents and emergency services.

The areas of:

• Korweinguboora / Spargo Creek / Blakeville
• Lal Lal
• Greendale/Dales Creek.

Are all situated within high fire risk areas and have a history of poor or patchy phone and communications coverage. This patchy/poor coverage has meant that emergency warnings may not reach these areas, leading to a hazardous environment with the community not receiving any information as to what is occurring.

These areas have been adversely affected during natural disaster events, hot weather and storms resulting in failing communications for residents, emergency service agencies and visitors.

During the June 2021 storms the Korweinguboora, Spargo Creek and Blakeville areas were completely cut off to outside assistance and the loss of communications made the ability to provide relief and recovery services incredibly difficult. As the ability to communicate is essential in life in general, the loss during emergencies compounds and can cause intense trauma and distress to the community in these areas.

If a large storm or fire was to impact the above communities, these communities are likely to become cut off from the surrounding towns and will potentially close common routes to highly visited tourist destinations, such as Daylesford.

Bunbartha and surrounds has large blackspots phone and internet coverage and is in need of an upgrade to the telecommunications services. This affects communication in their day to day lives. The area is also prone to storms and flooding this is a significant issue to locals when trying to communicate with each other, with emergency service agencies and to stay updated and informed on emergency information and warnings. 

These initiatives have been identified by Community Recovery Committees in Bunbartha and Murchison’s who are working to develop a Community Emergency Management Plan.

These mobile telecommunications sites service rural townships surrounded by state forest or national park with very high bushfire risk and regular storm and tree-fall events.

In the 2021 major storm, mobile service was lost for up to 72 hours, with no lines out of the impact zone and no access to emergency information. More than 3,000 homes were without power & internet for over a month. Prolonged power outages are occurring with increasing regularity and telecommunication towers cease to function within hours. Yarra Ranges has had up to six protracted power outages in these areas since 2021.

Impacts and consequences of these outages is the loss of small to medium size business eftpos connectivity which reduces capacity to maintain services and income. This is in addition to all private communications impacts, affecting community safety by lack of access to emergency information and emergency calls in prolonged power outage situations.

Areas with low and intermittent service already have impacted youth mental health and wellbeing, this is exacerbated by prolonged disruption to digital connectivity.

These mobile telecommunications sites are in urban areas surrounded by state forest or national park with very high bushfire risk and regular storm and tree-fall events. Prolonged power outages are occurring with increasing regularity and telecommunication towers cease to function within hours.

Yarra Ranges has had up to six protracted power outages in these areas since 2021.

Impacts and consequences of these outages is the loss of small to medium size business eftpos connectivity which reduces capacity to maintain services and income. This is in addition to all private communications impacts, affecting community safety by lack of access to emergency information and emergency calls in prolonged power outage situations.

Areas with low and intermittent service already have impacted youth mental health and wellbeing, exacerbated by prolonged disruption to digital connectivity.

The District of Monbulk is one of the most vulnerable from power outages due to bushfires, storms and other natural disasters. Bunyip State Forest forms part of Gembrook and is a high bushfire risk and the Cardinia Shire end of the Dandenong Ranges has experienced several severe weather events in the past year alone. As a result, prolonged power outages occur with increasing regularity and telecommunication towers cease to function within hours. This poses significant risks, especially during bushfire season.

When the Gembrook communications towers fail due to no power, the communication network goes down in Gembrook and surrounding areas. Power outages can last for several days, yet the towers are powered for only a few hours by backup power supply.

Without telecommunications;

• Townships are isolated
• Emergency 000 calls cannot be made
• Residents cannot check on family members or neighbours
• Emergency services (CFA/SES) cannot easily contact their volunteers
• Vic Emergency, news outlets, council website and other important information cannot be accessed for the latest updates
• Emergency services put their own lives at risk, not being able to communicate via phone
• Residents (particularly vulnerable residents) are put at risk as they cannot contact anyone for help
• ATM and EFTPOS services no longer work, leaving residents without access to essentials such as food, fuel and essential medications.

There is an urgent need for telecommunication tower hardening across the District of Monbulk.

The Telstra Otway Tower is a critical infrastructure in the middle of the Otway range in South Western Victoria. However it only has a 30 minute battery backup.

If a major fire (similar to Ash Wednesday 16 Feb 1984) was to occur again in the Otway's this would be critically insufficient—as backup generators are located over 2 hours away (Geelong) and could not be guaranteed to be able to be delivered. 75 people died in 1983—if a similar fire occurred today the number could easily be over 1000 due to the Green Change in living.

CFA and VFBV D6 are critically concerned at this lack of coverage—believe it needs to be significantly longer—e.g. over one day.

Can you please advise how this critical need can be allowed to place an application immediately.

The Alexandra communications tower fails during power outages. It has a reticulated power supply, and only 4-hour battery backup. Once this fails, the communication network goes down in Alexandra, Thornton, Taggerty and Acheron. This causes numerous safety risks:

• District with high incidence of declared natural disasters (6 in two years)
• Safety of first responders put at risk without communications network
• Town isolated by fire, storm and flood
• Frequent power outages, sometimes lasting for days
• Businesses relying on EFTPOS and ATMs cannot operate
• No access to cash in the town for essential purchases
• Night collisions with wildlife (kangaroos, wombats and deer) alarmingly frequent
• Two busy state highways, acknowledged TAC accident black spot
• Outages potentially dangerous - vulnerable individuals with medical conditions

The Yea communications tower commonly fails during natural disaster events, hot weather and storms. Once these fail:

• Yea, Limestone and Murrindindi areas have no service
• If homes become isolated due to blocked roads, there is no option to call for help
• Emergency services put their own lives at risk, not being able to communicate via phone
• Flash-flooded roads and collisions with wildlife are common, especially during the night, this leaves no option to call for rescue
• Vulnerable residents are put at risk
• Tourists often travel through Yea as it is on a major highway, and they may be unaware of above safety risks.

The proposed Mystic Mobile tower in Churchill Avenue Bright, would provide much needed redundancy for the critical Apex Hill tower which is the only Telstra tower that services Bright and cannot be accessed during times of high fires risk. Apex Hill is heavily wooded. This existing tower fails after several hours without power preventing the community receiving critical VicEmergency alerts and cannot be reserviced during times of high bushfire risk due to safety considerations. 

This tower can also provide coverage for the Wandigoing blackspot.

Jamieson township, within the Mansfield Shire, and immediate surrounds, are located in Victoria's High Country. This area loses connectivity during power outs/ blackout circumstances.

This town and its myriad satellite camping areas, host approx. 2000 holiday makers during Summer, Victoria's highest bush fire risk season, with limited available evacuation routes.

A BMO covers the entire township and surrounds indicating an accepted and evidence based opinion of this area's high fire risk.

Without an extra or more resilient power source/s to enable ongoing mobile phone communications during a fire event, no service technician could visit these sites to ensure functioning backup power or to re-fuel generators.

Consistently poor/ nil reception shadows in and around this area is a given, holiday loads reduce the networks ability/ capacity further, to a standstill.

There is an urgent need for better backup power services to be provided for telecommunications to these communities and their visitors, in the absence of a power supply review generally being conducted to improve this part of our districts electricity supply.

The proposed Mystic Mobile tower in Churchill Avenue Bright, would provide much needed redundancy for the critical Apex Hill tower which is the only Telstra tower that services Bright and cannot be accessed during times of high fires risk. Apex Hill is heavily wooded. This existing tower fails after several hours without power preventing the community receiving critical VicEmergency alerts and cannot be reserviced during times of high bushfire risk due to safety considerations.

This tower can also provide coverage for the Wandigong blackspot.

The Yea communications tower commonly fails during natural disaster events, hot weather and storms. Once these fail:
Yea, Limestone and Murrindindi areas have no service

• If homes become isolated due to blocked roads, there is no option to call for help
• Emergency services put their own lives at risk, not being able to communicate via phone
• Flash-flooded roads and collisions with wildlife are common, especially during the night, this leaves no option to call for rescue
• Vulnerable residents are put at risk
• Tourists often travel through Yea as it is on a major highway, and they may be unaware of above safety risks.

Crucial sites for consideration for funding:

Stream 1—Warburton, East Warburton & McMahon's Creek (4G)

Stream 2—Kalorama & The Patch (5G)

These mobile telecommunications sites are in urban areas surrounded by state forest or national park with very high bushfire risk and regular storm and tree-fall events.

In 2021 major storm, mobile service lost for up to 72 hours, with no line out of the impact zone and no access to emergency information. More than 3,000 homes without power & internet over a month.

The District of Monbulk is one of the most vulnerable from power outages due to bushfires, storms and other natural disasters. Yarra Ranges LGA is the second hardest hit across the nation for declared disasters. As a result, prolonged power outages occur with increasing regularity and telecommunication towers cease to function within hours.

When the Silvan communications tower fails due to no power, the communication network goes down in Silvan, Monbulk and surrounding areas. Power outages can last for several days, yet the towers are powered for only a few hours by backup power supply.

Without telecommunications;

• Townships are isolated
• Emergency 000 calls cannot be made
• Residents cannot check on family members or neighbours
• Emergency services (CFA/SES) cannot easily contact their volunteers
• Vic Emergency, news outlets, council website and other important information cannot be accessed for the latest updates
• Emergency services put their own lives at risk, not being able to communicate via phone
• Residents (particularly vulnerable residents) are put at risk as they cannot contact anyone for help
• ATM and EFTPOS services no longer work, leaving residents without access to essentials such as food, fuel and essential medications.

There is an urgent need for telecommunication tower hardening across the District of Monbulk.

The District of Monbulk is one of the most vulnerable from power outages due to bushfires, storms and other natural disasters. Yarra Ranges LGA is the second hardest hit across the nation for declared disasters. As a result, prolonged power outages occur with increasing regularity and telecommunication towers cease to function within hours.

When the Belgrave communications tower fails due to no power, the communication network goes down in Belgrave and surrounding areas. Power outages can last for several days, yet the towers are powered for only a few hours by backup power supply.

Without telecommunications;

• Townships are isolated
• Emergency 000 calls cannot be made
• Residents cannot check on family members or neighbours
• Emergency services (CFA/SES) cannot easily contact their volunteers
• Vic Emergency, news outlets, council website and other important information cannot be accessed for the latest updates
• Emergency services put their own lives at risk, not being able to communicate via phone
• Residents (particularly vulnerable residents) are put at risk as they cannot contact anyone for help
• ATM and EFTPOS services no longer work, leaving residents without access to essentials such as food, fuel and essential medications.

There is an urgent need for telecommunication tower hardening across the District of Monbulk.

The District of Monbulk is one of the most vulnerable from power outages due to bushfires, storms and other natural disasters. Yarra Ranges LGA is the second hardest hit across the nation for declared disasters. As a result, prolonged power outages occur with increasing regularity and telecommunication towers cease to function within hours.

When the Belgrave communications tower fails due to no power, the communication network goes down in Belgrave and surrounding areas. Power outages can last for several days, yet the towers are powered for only a few hours by backup power supply.

Without telecommunications;

• Townships are isolated
• Emergency 000 calls cannot be made
• Residents cannot check on family members or neighbours
• Emergency services (CFA/SES) cannot easily contact their volunteers
• Vic Emergency, news outlets, council website and other important information cannot be accessed for the latest updates
• Emergency services put their own lives at risk, not being able to communicate via phone
• Residents (particularly vulnerable residents) are put at risk as they cannot contact anyone for help
• ATM and EFTPOS services no longer work, leaving residents without access to essentials such as food, fuel and essential medications.

There is an urgent need for telecommunication tower hardening across the District of Monbulk.