Queensland bushfires: Telstra assistance package announced

Telstra today announced an assistance package for its residential and small business customers who have been displaced due to bushfires currently affecting the Central Queensland region.

Customers in the following regions are now eligible to access the package:

  • Baffle
  • Deepwater
  • Oyster Creek
  • Rules Beach
  • Taunton
  • Round Hill
  • Eungella
  • Dalrymple Heights

Telstra Regional General Manager Rachel Cliffe said the assistance package was designed to provide customers with access to free and interim services during the recovery period.

“We understand how important it is to reach out to friends and family during these situations and we want to do what we can to help our customers connect.

“The assistance package is designed to provide customers with a range of interim services in addition to providing the wider community with free calls and free Telstra Air Wi-Fi through our payphones in the area.

Customers who have had to evacuate or have lost their home are encouraged to call Telstra on 132 200 (then enter their full home phone 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 area
  • Free use of Telstra Air payphone hotspots in the affected area
  • 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).

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

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)

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

Fixed services

  • Cancellation of a Telstra fixed phone service at the affected address, with number reservation for up to 12 months from the date of the fire.
  • 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.
  • Customers who use the free call diversion service to divert their affected Telstra fixed phone service to their Telstra mobile service, can also make local and STD® calls from that mobile service at fixed line rates, in accordance with their selected plan (limited to one designated Telstra mobile diversion per affected Telstra fixed phone account).
  • 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

BigPond® services

For Telstra residential and small business customers who do not wish to retain their BigPond service at an affected address:

  • Disconnection of the affected BigPond service without the requirement to pay any applicable early termination charges or fees, as well as an email address reservation for up to 12 months from the date of the fire.
  • Connection of a BigPond service at an alternate residential or business address without any connection charges within a 12 month period beginning from the date of the fire.

For Telstra residential and small business customers who wish to retain their BigPond service at a temporary alternate address, Telstra will apply a one off credit to the value of $110 inc. GST to the customer’s account to help cover the costs of the following:

  • Move of a BigPond service to a temporary alternate address
  • Move of a BigPond service back to the customer’s original address.

For existing Telstra Mobile Broadband residential and small business customers – free replacement of the modem or USB device if required.

Affected customers should call Telstra on 132 200 (then enter their full home phone including area code when prompted) to report a fault on their services and/ or to register for the assistance package offers.

/Public Release. View in full here.