Question Time

Power Outages, Telecommunications

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY (Leader of the Opposition) (14:24): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Emergency Services a question regarding the 000 service.

Leave granted.

The Hon. D.W. RIDGWAY: In November last year there was a blackout of 100,000 homes and residents of the West Coast could not contact their emergency 000 services to report emergencies. It has been widely reported that the same situation occurred again last night. My question to the minister is: why has the government not ensured that the 000 emergency services are available to all South Australians in statewide emergencies?

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS (Minister for Police, Minister for Correctional Services, Minister for Emergency Services, Minister for Road Safety) (14:24): As I referred to in my ministerial statement, I have been advised that one element of communications—and I will come to 000—which is critical during the course of any emergency event is, of course, the South Australian Government Radio Network. As I previously advised, that seems to be working well and backups are operating well where mains power has failed. Regarding 000—

Members interjecting:

The PRESIDENT: Order!

The Hon. P. MALINAUSKAS: The 000 service is something that the government and I have been asking questions about ever since the event unfolded. My understanding is that 000 has performed well in terms of the services that are provided in terms of calls coming in. There is always a risk in terms of people's inaccessibility to 000 in the event that their phone goes flat or they don't have access to a phone or, indeed, if they don't have access to a working landline. That remains a situation that we are continuing to monitor.

By and large, I understand that the genuine overwhelming majority of South Australians had access to 000 and the services that allow for 000 to operate—for example, the Comm Cen at MFS headquarters—were manned up to full capacity to be able to deal with any incoming load as a result of the event. The only advice I have received regarding people's access to 000 was in regard to those people who don't have access to a phone themselves, which is quite distinct from the capacity to take incoming calls. We continue to receive advice regarding that as the situation unfolds and particularly on the Eyre Peninsula where power outages are still ongoing.