Emergency Services and Alerts Systems

Mr Fletcher asked:

What: (a) action is the Government taking to facilitate the development of communications infrastructure to support emergency services and alerts; (b) consideration has been given to a Radio Data System versus public mobile and fixed networks as platforms for delivering emergency services and alerts; and (c) investigations has the Government undertaken into the effects of natural disasters on radio communications and fixed mobile communications, what are the outcomes of these investigations, and can he say what impact these outcomes have had on Government decision making.

Mr McClelland responded:

(a) The States and Territories are responsible for delivering emergency warning messages to their communities and the means by which these messages are delivered. The Commonwealth does not determine which warning mechanisms or systems are adopted or tested by States and Territories, as they are best placed to determine their needs.

At its April 2009 meeting, the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) agreed to take immediate steps to enhance Australia's natural disaster arrangements through the development of a telephone-based emergency warning system. The Emergency Alert system enables participating States and Territories to deliver warnings to landline and mobile telephones based on the subscriber's address. The COAG decision to prioritise the implementation of a location-based mobile telephone warning capability recognises that most Australians use and have access to mobile telephones. In 2009, the Commonwealth Government committed $26.3 million to assist States and Territories develop this capability.

In relation to the delivery of emergency services over radio data systems, Australian public safety agencies currently use, and will for the foreseeable future, radio networks for their mission critical voice communications. These networks are built to high standards and have been 'hardened' to withstand the rigours of various emergency situations and natural disasters. In December 2009 COAG endorsed the National Coordinating Committee for Government Radiocommunications (NCCGR) National Framework to Improve Government Radiocommunications Interoperability to enhance radiocommunications interoperability for public protection and disaster relief by 2020. The Commonwealth Government is working with the NCCGR in its efforts to implement the Framework.

On 10 May 2011, the Commonwealth Government convened a roundtable discussion with key public safety stakeholders to examine the issue of public safety mobile broadband. As a result, the Commonwealth Government established the Public Safety Mobile Broadband Steering Committee to investigate the mobile broadband communications requirements of public safety agencies, which includes a potential allocation of radio-frequency spectrum from the 800 MHz spectrum band. The Committee anticipates providing a final report on this matter to the Standing Council for Police and Emergency Management by 29 February 2012.

(b) See (a)

(c) You may be aware that a Senate Inquiry into [T]he capacity of communication networks and emergency warning systems to deal with emergencies and natural disasters is expected to report on 2 November 2011 on this matter. My Department provided a written submission to, and appeared before, the Inquiry. Those records are publically available.