Case Studies

Country Women's Association – Margaret Roberts, State President CWA NSW

With around 25,500 members and a strong and healthy respect for the human face and grass roots perspective, CWA State President, Margaret Roberts, knows the importance of having a partner that believes in the same community based principles as Australia's largest women's organisation.

“Telstra Country Wide has been involved with us as a corporate partner for the past 8 years. Through the evolvement of our partnership it has become clear that Telstra Country Wide believe in the same community based principles as we do.

Since 2002, Telstra Country Wide staff has provided education sessions to CWA branch members on how to use mobile phones, internet services and other communications upgrades, which we have all found invaluable.

Furthermore, Telstra Country Wide is a major partner of our CWA state conference.

Our relationship has been a long standing and mutually beneficial one which we value very highly. It’s fantastic to have a company that feels passionate about enhancing the lives of regional and rural Australians on board with us!”

Surf Life Saving, NSW - Andrew Jones, Support Officer

With over 34,000 Surf Life Savers across NSW conducting thousands of rescues, first aid services and preventative actions at beaches every year, Surf Life Saving NSW Support Officer, Andrew Jones, believes it is vitally important to ensure that local Surf Life Saving Clubs can continually update their surf life saving equipment to keep their beaches safe.

“For the past 3 years, our partnership with Telstra has enabled us to purchase the very latest, up-to-date equipment needed to keep our clubs viable and our beaches safe.

Through Telstra's ‘Answer the Call’ fundraising campaign, Telstra, together with our residents, can help Surf Life Saving Clubs purchase the best surf lifesaving equipment available.

Telstra Country Wide has assisted over 195 Surf Life Saving Clubs throughout Australia during this time, providing much needed equipment like rescue boards, patrol uniforms and resuscitation kits.

The partnership between Surf Life Saving Australia and the local Telstra Country Wide team has been vital to keeping our beaches safe!”

North Queensland Cowboys, Michael Whiting, CFO

As the most isolated team in the NRL, the North Queensland Cowboys need to be able to communicate easily to the rest of Australia and use telecommunications technology to gain a competitive communications advantage on and off the field.

“Telstra Country Wide has been with us since our inception into the NRL in 1995 and has been integral in ensuring our telecommunications services and solutions are first rate. Throughout every match, our coaches are able to download the most up-to-date game statistics using their Next G™ wireless broadband cards to ensure we have every possible competitive advantage.

Many of our players have moved away from their families and friends to play with the Cowboys, but with their Next G™ mobile phones, they can video call or simply call and message loved ones across Australia, keeping them up to date with friends and families.

The partnership we share with the local Telstra Country Wide team has been key in allowing us to focus on our job of building a successful club!”

Carmichael Ford Motors, Andrew Carmichael - Chief Executive

When Carmichael Ford bought Powerhouse Ford in Mackay, Queensland more than two years ago, becoming Australia's largest retail Ford dealership, chief executive Andrew Carmichael knew his business needed to gain a competitive advantage.

“It was absolutely vital that we implemented a communications system that helped us satisfy our customer’s needs across Townsville, Mackay, Bowen and Ayr.

Telstra's Next IP™ network has allowed us to improve our customer service, support our growth and gain an essential competitive advantage. One key benefit the solutions provide is that calls from customers now automatically go through to a staff member's mobile or landline, which means customers get answered.

The role the local Telstra Country Wide team has taken in partnering our growth over the past 3 years has been very consultative. Because we have confidence that our telecommunications services and solutions are in place, we've been able to focus on growing our business.

It's a true partnership. Hopefully, all of our business partnerships can be as good as the one we share with Telstra!”

Local Government Association of Queensland – CEO, Greg Hallam

As the peak body and official voice of Queensland Councils, the Local Government Association of Queensland needed a communications partner that ensured all Queensland Councils were able communicate in a secure and private network.

“As a representative body, our priority is to be able to communicate with our councils and ensure that our communications network is safe and secure so that our councils can share complex and sensitive information.

To meet this need we worked with the local Telstra Country Wide team on a solution that would meet all Queensland council’ needs. In 2003 we implemented Telstra's virtual private network, which enables the councils to communicate sensitive information between themselves, securely and safely.

Furthermore, Telstra's Next G™ service has given our regional, rural and remote councils the opportunity to communicate with a level of immediacy that just wasn't possible before!

The local Telstra Country Wide team has been integral in helping make sure our councils can regularly communicate within a safe, secure and reliable network!”

Barossa Council, Brian Hurn, Mayor

The Barossa Council in South Australia decided it was time to become more efficient and environmentally friendly in handling their domestic community waste water systems.

Brian Hurn, Barossa Mayor said:

“Telstra is a valuable partner in helping us develop and implement a communication network to manage our waste water systems.”

“The Barossa Council operates seven Community Wastewater Management Scheme (CWMS) networks, three treatment plants and thirty pump stations within the townships of Lyndoch, Mount Pleasant, Springton Nuriootpa, Stockwell, Tanunda and Williamstown.

The operation of the CWMS networks is required to be monitored continuously to ensure their safe and effective operation.

The coverage and reliability of the Next G™ network has given us the vital link between our Network Control Centre and all our sites. This allows us to monitor and manage both normal and fault conditions and deploy suitable resources to prevent any damage to the environment. Thanks to the continued assistance of the local Telstra Country Wide team and the Next G™ network, in improving the operation of our CWMS networks to allow maximum reuse of wastewater and protection of the environment.”

FABAL (Food and Beverage Australia Ltd), Ashley Keegan, General Manager

Australia's drought has proved challenging for the food and beverage industry, with wine grape growers turning to telecommunications technology to assist with the production of South Australia's local wine.

“Telstra's cutting edge telecommunications technology has ensured that we can continue to produce during one of Australia’s worst droughts, by helping us transport water from the Murray River to our local vineyards.”

Vineyards in the Langhorne Creek area primarily received their water from Lake Alexandrina, which is now unusable!

So together with CMV Farms, we formed Marathon Water Pty Ltd and have built a 42 kilometre private pipeline from the Murray River to our vineyards, which is linked by three sequential pump stations.

Telstra's Next G™ network links the three pump stations and is pivotal in synchronising the water flow from the river to our vineyards. As a result, we consider Telstra's Next G network to be a critical link in this lifeline to our vines.

The partnership we share with the local Telstra Country Wide team has been key in improving the efficiency of our business.”

RACT – Iain Kelly, Chief Information Officer

As one of Tasmania's most recognised organisations, with a proud history of servicing its customers, Iain Kelly of the RACT believes it is essential to have a corporate partnership with a company that shares the same passion and commitment to its local customers.

“Telstra Country Wide has been involved with RACT as a corporate partner for the past 10 years. The growth in our relationship has ensured that we are able to provide our customers with state-wide services across roadside, travel, insurance and much more.

Our main objective is to service customer needs as quickly and efficiently as possible, and through the use of Telstra's Next G™ Network we have been able to achieve this. Because our telecommunications services are fully managed by Telstra we are able to put more time and resources into our core business, providing efficient outcomes for our customers!

Our 10 year relationship with the local Telstra Country Wide team is a true partnership based on shared community values and commitment to servicing the Tasmanian people.”

SeaRoad Holdings Pty Ltd - Paul Lockwood, General Manager Corporate Services

With a growing road transport fleet and daily shipping services across Bass Strait, SeaRoad General Manager Corporate Services in Tasmania, Paul Lockwood, needed a unified telecommunications solution to connect with customers, suppliers and employees.

“When SeaRoad opened for business in 2007, Telstra provided a tailor made telecommunication system, linking our offices, depots and ships.

Using the Next G™ Network and our on-board equipment, our ships can access real time weather forecasts during most of their journey across Bass Strait, assisting us with planning voyages and updating estimated arrival times.

Our next step is to use Telstra's Next G to connect our trucks to the network, providing better customer service with improved scheduling, timely deliveries, and an electronic proof of delivery system.

Telstra's technology is a significant contributor to the efficiency of our Tasmanian-based operation in the day-to-day business of transporting Tasmanian produce and manufactured goods as well as bringing freight to Tasmania.

We have an objective of becoming the national transport services supplier of first choice, and with the support of Telstra Country Wide, we believe we can get there!”

Rip Curl Pro - Neil Ridgway, Group Marketing and Advertising Chairman

The Rip Curl Pro, held at Bells Beach every year, is the world’s longest running surfing contest. Rip Curl Group Marketing and Advertising Chairman, Neil Ridgway, wanted an innovative telecommunications partner to help promote it around the world.

“Through Telstra's Next IP™ and Next G™ networks we’ve been able to take the Rip Curl Pro to surfing fans across Australia and the globe.

Also this year we celebrated our 10 year partnership with Telstra Country Wide. Their modern network brought the annual Rip Curl World Championship Tour live from Bell's Beach onto the internet, which was watched by over 1 million people worldwide.

The innovation, partnership and support from the local Telstra Country Wide team means that we can showcase our event, facilities and beautiful coastline to the rest of the world. We look forward to continuing our strong partnership with Telstra for many years to come.”

Victorian Farmers Federation, President Andrew Broad

As farmers across Victoria look to improve their businesses, Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) President Andrew Broad believes that telecommunications services are a key determining factor in how they go about this.

“The VFF is working constructively with Telstra Country Wide to ensure better telecommunications services for regional Victorians.

While many people know of the benefits of Smartphones and wireless broadband for the corporate world, our farmers are also using this technology to grow and develop their businesses.

Telstra Next G™ Smartphones now mean that farmers can call their suppliers, contractors and mechanics with immediacy that used to be limited to the home phone after work. Telstra's Next G™ Network is enabling our farmers access to vital weather updates, commodity prices and information about farm management.

The local Telstra Country Wide teams are working with the VFF to help change the way Victorian farmers do business.”

Kalgoorlie Boulder Chamber of Commerce and Industry, CEO Hugh Gallagher

As a resident of one of Australia’s most iconic remote areas, Kalgoorlie Boulder Chamber of Commerce CEO, Hugh Gallagher, knows the importance of effective and reliable communications when it comes to community safety.

“The best part of our relationship with Telstra Country Wide is their commitment to service in remote Australia.

We have been able to implement systems and associated technology with the Telstra Next G™ network that now provides communication options that improve safe mining practices.

And we can now communicate effectively with our partners via our Blackberry ® mobiles on the Next G™ network - made possible thanks to the local Telstra Country Wide team.

The flow on effects of such regional technologies have a direct benefit on the bottom line of our members – the miner's - and those that they rely on to keep their operations safe and profitable.

It is fantastic to have a company on board with us, who feels equally as passionate about enhancing the lives of people living in remote Australia as we do.”

Lomax Media, Business Owner, Dean Lomax

As a leading video production and multimedia business, Lomax Media in WA pride themselves on their fast and reliable service. To maintain their high standards of efficiency, company owner, Dean Lomax, believes it is integral to work with the best telecommunications equipment possible.

“As a video production and multimedia business with a national data base, we often need to send large amounts of data to our clients that can be as big as 170mb.

To accommodate this need, we have installed Telstra Country Wide's Business Broadband, which is the best thing we've ever done! Our clients now know that we can send all of our files as quickly as possible.

And when we are out of the office our Telstra Blackberry® Smartphones allow us to make calls and send emails, and our Next G™ Wireless Internet Cards have enabled us to immediately edit footage, interviews and news stories while on location.

If it wasn't for Telstra Country Wide, we simply wouldn't be able to provide our customers with fast, efficient and reliable service.”

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