Govt announces programs to enhance resilience during disasters


Wednesday, 29 January, 2025

Govt announces programs to enhance resilience during disasters

The Australian Government has announced funding for vital broadcasting infrastructure that can be deployed rapidly during natural disasters and emergencies to help keep communities safe, connected and informed.

The government’s $20 million Broadcasting Resilience Program (BRP), supported by $5.6 million in co-investment from BAI Communications, has already provided emergency power back-up batteries and upgraded satellite inputs to 98 ABC AM and FM radio sites across Australia used for emergency broadcasting. The BRP is now also funding five mobile broadcast assets (MBAs) that can be deployed to disaster-struck areas at short notice in the event that emergency broadcasting transmission fails, including during power outages caused by severe weather.

“This will help even more communities around Australia stay safe, connected and informed should disaster strike,” said Minister for Communications Michelle Rowland.

The MBAs also serve as a power supply to charge essential devices such as mobile phones, enabling people to access vital services and keep in touch with loved ones during emergencies. They will be housed at five strategic locations around the country:

  • Bald Hills (Brisbane), serving south-eastern Queensland and north-eastern New South Wales;
  • Gungahlin (Canberra), serving the Australian Capital Territory, southern NSW and eastern Victoria;
  • Hamersley (Perth), serving Western Australia;
  • Mt Bellenden-Ker (northern Queensland), serving northern Queensland and the Northern Territory; and
  • Pimpala (Adelaide), serving South Australia and western Victoria.
     

The sites were chosen by BAI based on previous natural disasters, ease of access to each region, and the ability to service and store units between events.

BAI said the BRP is improving the resilience of broadcast transmission infrastructure used for emergency broadcasting, supporting ABC services and commercial broadcasters co-located onsite, including SBS, WIN Television, Seven West Television, Optus and Vodafone. Indeed, these upgrades have already kept services running for an additional 4500 hours during emergency events.

The BRP is part of the government’s Better Connectivity Plan for Regional and Rural Australia, which includes $400 million to improve mobile coverage and increase the resilience of communications services across Australia. As part of the plan, the government last month announced $55 million in grant funding for areas in need through Round 8 of the Mobile Black Spot Program (MBSP) — a co-funding arrangement with the telco industry for new and upgraded telecommunications infrastructure to enhance mobile coverage and competition across Australia.

MBSP Round 8 funding is targeted at disaster-prone locations in regional and rural Australia, to bolster community safety and enable better assistance for locals during and after emergencies. Round 8 also provides higher levels of funding for co-location and active sharing technologies delivered by all three national mobile carriers: Optus, Telstra and TPG.

An online Project Noticeboard has been set up to allow local councillors and state, territory and federal parliamentarians to work with their local communities to identify potential projects; telco industry applicants are encouraged to review these submissions when preparing their applications. The Project Noticeboard is available here and applications can be made here.

Image caption: Minister for Communications Michelle Rowland (right) with BAI Communications CEO Peter Lambourne (centre) and Member for Fenner Dr Andrew Leigh (left), pictured with one of five new mobile broadcasting assets unveiled on 24 January 2025 in Gungahlin, Canberra. Image courtesy BAI Communications.

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