Disaster relief
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How to prepare for a disaster event
In Australia, extreme weather events such as bushfires, cyclones and floods are becoming more frequent and more intense, so being prepared for a disaster is critical.
Having an emergency plan in place before a disaster happens is important and having the right gear which can help you stay in touch is a must.
You may also consider having some portable equipment, like a satellite phone or alternative charger on hand if you live in a regional area or other location that’s prone to natural disasters.
Get tips on how to prepare and stay connected during a natural disaster.
Emergency quick links
- Find emergency contacts in your state or territory
- Check the Bureau of Meteorology for warnings in your area
- Get tips from Australian Red Cross on how to cope during and after an emergency
Staying connected during the disaster
Check the status of your service
If you're in a location that has suffered damages, you can check the status of your service on our outages page. Choose the service and enter your postcode to find out more information.
Free calls and Wi-Fi at our payphones
All calls from our payphones to standard local, national and mobile numbers in Australia are free.
When disaster assistance packages are announced, we give everyone in the affected area access to free Wi-Fi at our payphones equipped as free Telstra Wi-Fi.
Assistance packages for disaster-affected customers
Whether it's a temporary interruption to your service or more long-term, you could be eligible for our disaster assistance packages. We'll send you an SMS if you're in the affected area.
If you don't receive the SMS you can call to activate it on our dedicated disaster assistance line 1800 888 888, or you can contact us.
- Find out more about Disaster assistance for affected communities in Victoria
- Find out more about Disaster assistance for Queensland and northern NSW bushfires
- Find out more about Disaster assistance for our WA customers
Short-term assistance
To help you stay in touch if you've had to leave your premises due to a disaster, we're offering:
- Free call diversion from your home or business phone to another number, regardless of the provider
- Extra data and free call bundles for eligible Pre-Paid and post-paid mobile customers. We'll send you an SMS if you're in an affected area. If eligible, the extra data will be applied within 24 hours.
Long-term assistance
If you've suffered severe damage or loss of your home or business premises and need to relocate, we'll disconnect your existing fixed phone service and give you:
- Free call diversion from your fixed phone service to another Australian fixed or mobile service, regardless of the provider
- A one-off credit on your Telstra fixed phone account to help cover the cost for:
- Connection of a new Telstra fixed phone service at your temporary address
- Re-connection of a Telstra fixed phone service at your original address
- For Telstra Upfront plans, please contact us on 1800 888 888.
Payment relief
While your services aren't working, we offer payment relief options for eligible personal and small business customers.
Suspend your service
You can suspend your service for up to 90 days, whether you're a home internet customer or small business customer. For eligible customers you will also receive a credit for your bill or invoice.
Financial assistance
For more long-term payment assistance, we offer financial assistance for eligible customers. You can message us, call our team on 1800 531 951, Monday to Friday (8.30am – 7.00pm AEDT) or fill out our online contact request form. One of our team members will assess your needs and tailor the right assistance for you.
Read more about our Financial assistance.
Frequently asked questions
Assistance packages are offered based on impacted locations. If you have a mobile service with us, you’ll receive an SMS advising you of your eligibility. Announcements are also made locally in impacted areas.
When a disaster assistance package is announced, it can include the following:
For a short-term impact, such as temporary evacuation of your home or business or a temporary fault:
- All calls from our payphones to standard local, national and mobile numbers in Australia are now free at all times
- Free use of Wi-Fi hotspots at Telstra payphones in the affected areas
- Free call diversion from an affected fixed home or business phone service to another fixed or mobile service, regardless of the provider
- Extra mobile data for eligible post-paid mobile customers
- Extra Pre-Paid data and free calls
For a long-term impact, such as severe damage to or loss of your home or business:
- Free call diversion from your fixed phone service to another Australian fixed or mobile service, regardless of the provider
- A one-off credit on your Telstra fixed phone account to help cover the cost of:
- Connection of a new Telstra fixed phone service at your temporary address
- Re-connection of a Telstra fixed phone service at your original address
Contact us on 1800 888 888 to discuss other options.
Related links
Rural and regional
When you're living in some of Australia's most remote areas, staying connected can be a matter of life and death.
Volunteering
We encourage our people to volunteer and support the issues that matter to our community.
Financial assistance
Helping you stay connected when you're finding it hard to pay.
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