Media Release

KAP Federal Member for Kennedy Bob Katter today called on Prime Minister Julia Gillard for a comprehensive inquiry into the latest natural disaster telecommunications blackout that left much of Queensland without access to the essential services such as triple 0 emergency, cash, petrol and food.

Mr Katter told Parliament that given the on-off collapse of the entire telco system throughout North Eastern Australia during what was a relatively contained natural disaster, an area from Gladstone to Cairns to Mount Isa was left with only intermittent Triple 0 emergency services for 24 hours; while internet-reliant services such as cash, petrol and food were inaccessible.

“In light of this, would the PM agree to a comprehensive inquiry into telco services to ensure the future delivery through the NBN, and inter alia, to secure mobile towers – ensuring lives are not lost in future?” Mr Katter asked the Prime Minister during Question Time.

Mr Katter blamed disinterest and lack of maintenance to an ageing system for its collapse during times of most need.

Mr Katter told the Parliament that access to reliable telecommunications during emergencies may have made the difference in past instances where lives have been lost or seriously threatened.

“The government must come to grips with the complete failure of the privatisation of telcos in Australia,” added Mr Katter.

“They don’t have the universal service obligations we were promised during the privatisation I the 1990s.”

The Prime Minister told the House of Representatives that information she has sought on the natural disaster telco collapse would be made publicly available and tabled in Parliament.

But Mr Katter said while the PM’s personal intervention to restore mobile phone towers that were offline two weeks after Cyclone Yasi was most appreciated, “we should not need to request the PM’s personal intervention every time there is a natural disaster emergency telecommunications failure”.