Telstra announces assistance package for Northern NSW 
 
Thursday 10 October 2019:  Telstra today announced an assistance package for its residential and small business customers in Northern New South Wales who have lost services due to fire.
 
Telstra Regional General Manager Mike Marom said bushfires in Northern New South Wales had affected Telstra’s mobile and fixed line services, and the assistance package would provide customers with access to free and interim services during the recovery period. 
 
Areas including; Drake, Tabulam, Ewingar, Busbys Flat, Wyan, Rappville and Jackadgery are all eligible for customer assistance. 
 
“We know that a number of our customers are displaced or have lost their homes, and we understand that now it is more important than ever to be able to reach out to friends and family,” Mr Marom said. 
 
“That’s why we are making this package available – so customers can still be connected in their time of need,” Mr Marom said. 
 
“As well as supporting customers, the assistance package will also provide the wider community with free calls and free Telstra Air Wi-Fi through local payphones. 
 
“Our teams are also working to restore impacted services as quickly as possible. In some cases, adverse conditions are preventing us from reaching some areas but we will attend as soon as it’s safe to do so.” 
 
Customers who have had to evacuate or have lost their home are encouraged to call Telstra on 132 203 (then enter their full home phone number 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 areas
• Free use of Telstra Air payphone hotspots in the affected areas
• 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)
• 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).
 
The above offers are applicable until network damage in the area due to fire is repaired, or while customers remain evacuated, for a maximum period of three months from the date of the fires. 
 
Long term measures (for Telstra customers who have suffered severe damage to or loss of their premises):
 
Fixed services
• 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.
• 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 
 
 
Media contact: Danita Goodwin, Media Manager
M: +61 439 88 66 52
E: media@team.telstra.com
Reference number: 123/2019