Hayley West asks: “Are we ready for death?” And through her newly established service The Departure, she can help to answer such a question.
Not just another conventional funeral provider, The Departure is intended to champion ethical, personalised and environmentally conscious death care, blending creativity with compassion.
Based in Castlemaine and servicing Central Victoria, Hayley strongly believes that we should embrace the realities of grief, the inevitability of death, and the acceptance of mortality while crafting meaningful rituals that honour both the departed loved one and those left behind.
Hayley has been what she describes as a ‘death literacy advocate’ for over 20 years through talks, exhibitions, and residencies as an artist and researcher. And since 2021, with her weekly radio show ‘Dead Air’ on Maine FM.
But her interest goes back further than that.
“Since I was a child I’ve had a lot of death in my life,” she says. “The first was my sister who died at three years old when I was six. From there I have experienced seven significant deaths before the age of 40.
“But my family was very much a death-denial family and nothing was talked about. For instance, when my sister died, her photographs were taken out of the house and she was never spoken about again.
“Then later on in my 20s I began to see (the theme of) death creep into my art work and I began to research extensively into the whole death and funeral industry.”
The Departure offers all those familiar services such as assistance with body preparation, death certificates or transport, but more importantly, The Departure wants to normalise the conversation around it and let people be aware how many choices there are when it comes to end-of-life processes.
“The funerals I had attended were so conventional and run of the mill, nothing interesting, nothing exceptional. I wanted to see something more sincere, more personalised, much more a part of life.
“And as people are really thinking about choice it is the right time to start as an independent death worker and do death differently.”
Options include engaging a death doula or (end-of-life midwife) who helps a dying person and their family navigate the end-of-life process. There is the possible use of shrouds or ecologically friendly cardboard boxes (to specification) instead of ornate coffins.
Funeral services can be held at home with choices for live bands, transport (ute or horse and carriage anyone?) or even flash mob dancers and the gesture of leaving one’s record collection for mourners to take.
The most important thing to note here, Hayley says, is the process of death and dying does not have to be talked about in whispers or hidden away behind the walls of a funeral home or crematorium. It can be an open celebration of the deceased’s life and everything they were about.

Hayley sees that the character of the funeral industry is changing partly due to the emergence of assisted dying laws which have opened up conversations about death and dying and on whose terms. She sees that the rituals associated with death, especially in western countries, had been taken away from us.
“We used to tend to our dead, or someone in the community would. I think now people want to claim a little of that back. So much of the practices of the modern funeral industry have been stripped back to the point where they are just like McFunerals.”

Words & image: Tony Sawrey

Stage 2 water restrictions will come into force from Tuesday, July 1 in Daylesford, Hepburn and Hepburn Springs.
Central Highlands Water managing director Jeff Haydon said the initial lower-level restrictions were being introduced to raise awareness and alert the community for the need to continue its focus on remaining water efficient.
“We’ll continue to closely monitor our water storages, the community usage patterns, and weather forecasts. Our goal is to lift restrictions as soon as conditions allow, but if dry weather and soil conditions persist, further restrictions may be necessary,” Mr Haydon said.
Daylesford has just experienced its driest summer-autumn period since 1991 making this a significant dry period. This has resulted in storages falling to approximately 30 per cent. At the same time last year, storage levels were at 64 per cent. Hepburn Shire has now been declared to be in drought.
Historically, water storage levels in the Daylesford and Hepburn region are particularly sensitive to long dry spells due to the size of the catchment and volume of the storages, especially as demand increases during summer and early autumn months. Positively, it has been shown the storages can fill up quickly with good rainfall levels.
“The extended dry conditions have placed real pressure on our water storages. We thank residents, visitors and the community for their ongoing efforts in limiting their water use,” Mr Haydon said.
“By acting now, we can together preserve existing local water supplies and ensure storages can meet community needs until storage levels recover and the current major supply system augmentation works are completed.”
To secure the region’s future water needs for the next 50-plus years, CHW is investing in more than $25 million in water infrastructure upgrades.
This includes the construction of a 17-kilometre underground raw water pipeline from Blampied to the Daylesford Water Treatment Plant, connecting to the Goldfields Superpipe.
Upgrades to the Daylesford Water Treatment Plant are also progressing, with design and construction now underway.
The works are set for completion by mid-2026.

Free water

Under the Water Act 1989 a person has the right to take water, free of charge, for their domestic and stock use from a waterway or bore which they have access to by a public road or public reserve or if they occupy the land on which the water flows or occurs, or in the case of a waterway if they occupy land next to it and the bed and banks of the waterway have remained the property of the Crown.
In relation to water, domestic and stock use means use for household purposes, watering of animals kept as pets, watering of cattle or other stock, irrigation of a kitchen garden and watering an area not exceeding 1.2 hectares for fire prevention purposes with water from a spring or soak or water from a dam.
A kitchen garden is one used solely in connection with a dwelling and has no produce for sale.

Pipeline link: www.chw.net.au/community/community-investment/projects/securing-daylesford-water-supply
Annual Water Outlook link: www.chw.net.au/community/future-water-planning/annual-water-outlook
Water saving tips link: www.chw.net.au/education-sustainability/saving-water-at-home-and-work
Words & image: Donna Kelly

Hi there. I am Swiper – a sweet young ferret who enjoys any and all company.
I would love to find a home where I would get daily out-of-cage play, mental stimulation and lots of love.
I would be a great addition to your household with my friendly and playful nature.
Microchip no. 956000018529222.
Come and meet Swiper at MAAWs in Castlemaine.
Ph: 5472 5277.

The story of Hepburn Wildlife Shelter started in 2005 when founders Jon and Gayle purchased an 11-hectare bushland property adjoining the Hepburn Regional Park specifically for the running of the wildlife shelter and planned to establish a permanent and lasting treatment and care facility for wildlife in the region.
From there they put everything they had into wildlife care: income, time, personal space, scientific training and significant emotional investment.
As the shelter continued to grow it became apparent that caring for myriad injured and orphaned native wildlife that found themselves at the shelter would become a 24/7 commitment for Jon and Gayle.
With no available government funding, the shelter grew with support from generous donors and volunteers from throughout the region.
Today Hepburn Wildlife Shelter houses an average of 100 animals (wildlife) in care at any one time and in addition to those it receives around 1000 wildlife calls to respond to each year.
Many of the patients require intensive care and treatments and some small orphans need feeding every two hours.
A typical day is dominated by the regular rounds of feeding (and toileting of very young ones) and cleaning but at any time this routine can be interrupted by a call to action to attend to a diverse and often shocking variety of animals in distress.
Calls vary from dehydrated lizards, baby birds fallen out of nests and bats discovered in roof spaces, to the horrors of mangy wombats with flyblown wounds, kangaroos caught up in fences or fallen down mineshafts.
Then there are animals of all varieties involved in grisly road traumas with severed or broken limbs, concussion and bloody wounds – even in the worst cases, there are always orphaned pouch young to consider.​
At the current level of support for their work Gayle and Jon must provide the vast majority of the funds for the care work at the Hepburn Wildlife Shelter, as well as the expertise and the physical work.
Additional volunteer help at the shelter is essential to the operation in order to keep up with the workload. Issues such as drought, bushfires, wildlife culling, prescribed burning of wildlife habitat, residential and commercial development and increased traffic on the roads all contribute to the workload. Fortunately, everyone enjoys their work immensely!
Dr Marita McGuirk will return with her column on July 14. If you would like to donate or volunteer, or just find out more, head to www.hepburnwildlifeshelter.org Article proudly sponsored by The Local Publishing Group

Filming for the The Block has ended with the show due to be aired in early August – before the five houses on the Raglan Street, Daylesford site go up for auction.
A spokesperson said the show’s builders Nine In Six were at the site, doing maintenance on the houses and gardens, until the end of the auctions which were likely to be late October or early November. Real estate agents for the houses will also be doing private open for inspections.
Central Highlands residents, who have watched The Block houses rise up from the former sheep paddock, can watch promotions go to air later this month.

Along with spending plenty in the town’s cafes and hotels, like the Daylesford Hotel pictured above with a “thank you” from executive producer, Julian Cress, the show’s contestants have also helped out a number of organisations.
They include the historic Hepburn Bathhouse and Spa, the community theatre – Phoenix at The Rex, and the Daylesford Men’s Shed. The show has also shone the spotlight on local products such as the Daylesford & Hepburn Mineral Springs Co.

One of the The Block’s three judges Marty Fox and contestants headed to the Daylesford Bowling Club for a pickleball challenge and Daylesford Primary School students toured the site. The first appearance of the cast members was at the ChillOut parade in March.
Homeware lifestyle store, Cedar & Sage Daylesford joint partner Sally Collinson told realestate.com that her store’s Daylesford candle was set to feature in the winning bathroom in the first week of the show.
Daylesford was originally going to be The Block’s 20th series in 2024 but after locals complained, it was moved to Phillip Island. Words: Donna Kelly

Daylesford Integrate Fitness owner Beth Whiting, left, and above right, has come away from the World Kettlebell Sport Federation World Championships with gold and silver in the elite class.
The championships were held in Italy from June 5 to June 8.
Posting on social media, Beth said it had been “a huge weekend filled with amazing lifting and wonderful humans”.
“By far my highlight of the championships was being here as a coach and watching Shirlene Nevill, (above left), lift. I was beyond proud to watch her step onto the platform. The competition was absolutely fierce in her division this year and Shirlene definitely held her own, performing flawless reps.
“My goal for years has been to qualify for the Elite class. I was absolutely honoured to step up and lift beside the finest lifters in the world. Particularly in the elite female relay – what an experience. I came away with a silver and gold in the Elite class so pretty happy with that.”
Shirlene came fourth in each of her three lifts including in the Masters One-Arm Long Cycle (10-minutes) and in the Masters Military Snatch. She said watching Beth, her coach, compete at an Elite level was awe-inspiring and motivating.

Beth thanked the team at Girevoy Sport Australia, the home of Kettlebell Sport Australia and her coach Shannon Pigdon “for always believing in me”.
In 2023, Beth returned from the World Kettlebell Sport Federation championships in Hungary with three gold medals, one silver and two bronze.
Beth says being good at kettlebells is all about a combination of mental and physical resilience and the ability to keep going, no matter how tough that going gets.
The kettlebell itself is a hollow ball of iron with a handle made of iron, weighing from eight kilograms to 50kg. They are all the same size with the same handle, just the weight and colour vary.
Competitions include single and double lifts and range from 10 minutes to half marathons of 30 minutes and full marathons of 60 minutes. The competitor’s weight, the weight of the kettlebell and repetitions completed all come into the equation.
Beth runs fitness classes – and kettlebell training – for all abilities and ages at Integrate Fitness, a purpose-designed space off East Street, Daylesford.
Words: Donna Kelly | Images: @integratefitnesspt

Carl Schulz – Publican, entrepreneur and philanthropist

Albert Julius ‘Carl’ Schulz migrated to Australia from Germany in 1884. Carl, as he preferred to be known, went to Milawa, Victoria and pursued the occupation of bricklaying.
He was hard working and money conscious and within a short time, in the early 1890s, was able to purchase the Moyhu Hotel.

The thrifty purchase gave him leftover funds which allowed him to rebuild the hotel, making sure all the necessary conveniences were installed, which included new furnishings, and hot and cold running water.
While the publican of the hotel, he also built a bakery, a doctor’s residence, Moyhu’s first public hall and the local saleyards. The reserve at Moyhu is named the Carl Schulz Reserve in his honour.
When his wife Marion Wolstenholme died in 1915, Carl decided to retire and seek a quieter lifestyle. This did not last.
In 1922, he went on to to purchase the Lagoon Hotel, Kiewa. He built the business up over three years and sold the hotel at a great profit.
Carl’s next venture was in the town of Trentham. He took over the victualler’s licence (it authorises the licensee to sell and dispose of liquor on the specified premises) from Victorine Fitzgerald on what was known as the Bank Hotel on May 12, 1925. In December that year significant alterations were approved to the hotel at a cost of £5000.
In January 1926, Carl acquired the freehold of the hotel and was due to commence alterations. Unfortunately, before the building works had begun, the wooden hotel was extensively damaged by fire and a large portion of the hotel had to be demolished. The morgue out the back remained intact and continued to be used during the rebuild.
Carl finished the extensive rebuild in March 1927 with the new name ‘Hotel Trentham’ in honour of the town. The advertisement in The Argus newspaper on March 12, 1927 read ‘HOTEL TRENTHAM Newly Built Brick Building. All newly furnished, every convenience, hot and cold water; terms moderate, 6 private garages; 1 mile from Trentham Falls. CARL SCHULZ, Proprietor’.
He continued to operate the hotel until becoming seriously ill in September that year, when he had a paralytic stroke. The business was sold to Jim Bennett of Melbourne on March 31, 1928. Sadly, Carl passed away in May, 1929 and is buried in the Milawa Cemetery.
Carl will be remembered for his rebuild of the iconic Hotel Trentham and also giving freely to charitable and worthy causes in the town. He came to Trentham with a big idea and although it didn’t go as planned, he is still remembered.

A not so funny story

On October 20, 1928 a newspaper article says a George Poole was found burned to death in his bed in his room at Hotel Trentham on October 12. The licensee Mr Bennett noticed a smell of burning, and on investigation found Mr Poole dead and the bed still smouldering. Fortunately Carl had the foresight to rebuildin brick, or it could have burnt to the ground, again.

Images: The opening of the Hotel Trentham in 1927, with thanks to the Trentham Historical Society
The hotel today, Natalie Poole

Hepburn Shire Council is hosting two events to give residents and business owners the opportunity to hear from emergency management agencies about the roles and responsibilities they have in responding to emergencies. 

Join representatives from agencies on Thursday 26 June at the Creswick Town Hall from 9:15 am to 12:30 pm or at The Mechanics Trentham from 1:30 to 4:30 pm. Light refreshments will be provided. 

Mayor, Cr Don Henderson, said that the panel events provide a good opportunity for the community to understand who does what in emergency situations. 

“It is important that we work together with emergency management agencies to prepare us for the future. Each agency has a key role to play in responding to emergencies, like storms, fires and floods, and by knowing what these are we can know what to expect,” said Cr Don Henderson.   

Agencies attending: 

• CFA 
• Victoria State Emergency Service
• Forest Fire Management Victoria 
• Victoria Police 
• Victorian Department of Health 
• Ambulance Victoria 
• Hepburn Shire Council 
• Agriculture Victoria 
• Australian Red Cross 
• Victorian Department of Families, Fairness and Housing 
• Powercor 
• NBN 
• Telstra 
• Emergency Recovery Victoria 

A Q&A session will follow the panel discussions to allow attendees to ask questions.  

In Australia, the risks posed by disasters are becoming increasingly frequent and complex. While the Hepburn Shire is known for its strength and resilience, there is always more we can do to better prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies. 

For more information and to book, visit Eventbrite. 

There can be few moments of relief greater than the recovery of a much-loved missing pet as the rescue of labrador Ted from a Trentham mineshaft earlier this month illustrates.
A big team effort on Monday, June 2 saw Trentham CFA and Bendigo’s Oscar 1 rescue team safely rescue Ted from where he was trapped down an eight-metre deep mineshaft in Trentham bushland.
Ted and his labradoodle buddy, Penny, had gone missing four days earlier on Thursday, May 29, sparking a huge community search and online campaign after the dogs’ owners, Chantal Henderson and her family discovered them missing.
Luckily, a neighbour finally heard Penny’s frantic barking and was then able to locate Penny guarding the top of the shaft with poor Ted stuck below.
The canine pair were found on Pronk Track in Trentham around noon.
A quick call was made to Triple Zero, and the Trentham Fire Brigade and Oscar 1 swung into action, with help from Hepburn Shire Council staff and Forest Fire Management Victoria.
Ted was kept calm with food and water until rescuers could safely bring him back up about three hours later, into owner Chantal’s waiting arms.

A very relieved Chantal had plenty of praise for all concerned with the rescue, posting on social media:
“Our family is ever so grateful for all the support and well wishes we have received these past five days.
“Thank you to Ruth and her daughter for their perseverance searching the bush after hearing their barking. Without you they would never have been found.
“Penny was found guarding Ted who had fallen down a straight eight-metre mine shaft some time before or around Friday lunchtime. Both dogs are in unbelievable condition, a little lighter than usual, but otherwise excellent.
“Thank you to our rescuers, Trentham CFA, Hepburn and Moorabool shire rangers/officers, Forest Management and CFA Oscar 1 Mine Rescue.”
Trentham CFA Captain David Wheeldon said: “When we arrived, as you would expect, Penny was quite agitated, but luckily one of our firefighters knew the owners because they lived next door to them.
“We were able to get a hold of them to come down before Bendigo’s Oscar 1 crew started the rescue process.
“Throughout the morning, we were providing Ted with plenty of food and water.
“The members of Oscar 1 descended down the eight-metre shaft to safely extricate Ted and hand him back into the arms of his owners – happy, healthy and well.”
The incident serves to highlight the ongoing dangers posed by old mine shafts in the area.
While on scene, Trentham Fire Brigade members had worked with Forest Fire Management Victoria to locate and red-tape a number of open mine shafts in the area in an effort to help prevent future incidents.

Words: Eve Lamb | Image: Supplied

Drought and dry seasonal conditions support

The Victorian Government has announced a new and expanded Drought Package – with an additional $37.7 million in funding.

Eligible farmers across the state will be able to access grants of up to $5,000 to support on-farm drought management.

For eligible farmers in the south west, the grant has been increased to up to $10,000.

The Premier has also established a Drought Response Taskforce.

Farmers can lodge an Expression of Interest for the grants by emailing Rural Finance at: admin@ruralfinance.com.au

To view the full range of financial, technical and wellbeing support available visit agriculture.vic.gov.au/dryseasons or phone 136 186.

The state government is helping Victorians get out and enjoy the great outdoors with more major boat ramp upgrades and a brand-new launching point for recreational boaters.

Minister for Outdoor Recreation Steve Dimopoulos recently visited the Werribee South boat ramp to announce the latest round of Better Boating Fund will invest $36.3 million in major infrastructure upgrades across Victoria, as well as significant ramp maintenance and dredging to optimise the functionality of ramps.

As part of proposed upgrades at the bustling Werribee South facility, which services growing demand from boaters in Melbourne’s booming west, an extra ramp lane and accessible pontoon will be added while the car park and entry points will be reconfigured to reduce congestion and the need to queue back onto Beach Road.

Parking and access lanes will be redesigned and resurfaced to improve traffic flow and create a small number of additional spaces for cars with boat trailers. The $2.2 million project will also improve boat preparation areas so skippers can rig their vessels out of the way.

In addition to improvements at Werribee, the Better Boating Fund will support construction of major facility upgrades at Geelong’s Limeburners Point, Schnapper Point at Mornington, Tooradin and Port Welshpool.

A new ramp will also be built at Lake Eildon’s Howqua Inlet, featuring a concrete ramp and asphalt parking area, to provide another option for launching on the eastern side of the lake.

Ramp managers will be able to undertake critical dredging and ramp maintenance through a pair of competitive grants programs worth a combined $1 million, while planning will begin for future upgrades at another seven facilities.

The Fund is allocated via annual action plans, with the most recent including a range of initiatives to get more women into recreational boating, improve boating safety through better aids to navigation, support waterway management and deliver boating education clinics.

The Better Boating Fund reinvests recreational boating licence and registration fees back into boating projects and programs. Since 2021 nearly $140 million has been returned to recreational boating including more than 50 ramp upgrades such as St Leonards, Lake Bullen Merri, Clifton Springs and Inverloch.

To view the Better Boating Fund Action Plan and for more detail on major ramp infrastructure upgrades visit www.betterboating.vic.gov.au

Hepburn Shire Council has released a draft Integrated Transport Strategy (ITS) for community feedback. The strategy forms part of Council’s Future Hepburn strategic planning initiative.

The draft ITS is the result of several years of research and community engagement, beginning with the Local Transport Forum (2018), a benchmarking study (2019), and ongoing consultation through the Hepburn Together Community Vision and Council Plan 2021-2025, and township structure plan surveys in 2023 and 2024.

Mayor, Cr Don Henderson, said that good transport is critical to the liveability of Hepburn Shire.

“This strategy outlines how we can deliver and advocate for transport systems that are safer, fairer, and more connected making it easier for everyone in our community to get where they need to go.”

“Currently, most residents rely on private car travel, which results in higher emissions and transport costs, particularly challenging in a rural region with an ageing population and lower household incomes,” said Cr Don Henderson.

The draft ITS focuses on supporting a wider range of options including walking, wheeling (mobility scooters, prams, skateboards, etc.), cycling, and improved public transport services.

The strategy is underpinned by six key principles:

1. People-centred transport
2. Fairer transport
3. Greener, healthier transport choices
4. Safer movement and places
5. A connected Shire
6. A vibrant economy

Council’s role spans direct planning and service delivery, as well as advocacy and collaboration with state and federal agencies.

“This is about designing and advocating for a transport system for people of all abilities,” said Cr Don Henderson.

The draft ITS is now open for public feedback. Community members are encouraged to review the draft and share their thoughts.

Consultation is open from Monday 16 June to Friday 11 July 2025. Feedback on the draft ITS can be provided online at https://participate.hepburn.vic.gov.au/future-hepburn. Hard copy surveys will be available in Council libraries and hubs. 

The state government is supporting Victoria’s next generation of cyber security experts – giving them the critical skills they need to keep us all safe.

Minister for Government Services Natalie Hutchins has joined students at Victoria University (VU) to announce that the second ever cohort of Victorian Government Cyber Internship Program interns will soon graduate from the program – hearing directly about their experiences, and discussing future pathways in the cyber industry.

The program which is guided by Victoria’s Cyber Strategy offers one-of-a-kind opportunities for interns to learn from cyber experts, while growing Victoria’s pool of cyber talent.

This year’s seven interns are all recent graduates from the Certificate IV in Cyber Security which is delivered through the state government’s Free TAFE initiative.

Interns gain hands-on experience in critical areas including incident response, cyber awareness, threat intelligence, governance and project management at the Department of Government Services.

Oliver is a current intern of the program who studied at VU and is passionate about educating the community and spreading awareness about cyber safety, particularly to elderly Victorians who may be more susceptible to cyber scams who has learned skills to prepare organisations for and respond to cyber security risks.

Damon is also an intern who studied at VU and has always provided tech support to friends and family to keep them safe online. Damon has enjoyed collaborating with the other interns on cyber projects, and contributing to cyber training for government staff while learning skills in incident response and cyber awareness and education.

The program launched in 2024 and saw five interns graduate, with four entering into the cyber workforce, and one returning to further study. Current participants in the Cyber Internship Program will graduate in August.

The H7 avian influenza response in Victoria has come to an end. The outbreak, which began in February, affected four commercial poultry properties.

There have been no new cases of H7N8 high pathogenicity bird flu since 24 February 2025. 

Disease eradication activities have been successful, allowing Agriculture Victoria to remove quarantine from the infected properties and lift the Control Area that has been in place around Euroa for more than four months.

As result, there are no longer movement restrictions around the four properties.

This progress is a significant step towards re-establishing Australia’s claim to freedom from high pathogenicity avian influenza.

Victoria’s Acting Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Sally Salmon said the disease was eradicated thanks to the hard work of the poultry industry, local bird owners and the wider community.

“Early reporting from the first affected business meant we could act quickly, and their ongoing co-operation with all elements of the response has been a major factor in achieving eradication,” Dr Salmon said.

Once the affected birds had been removed from the properties, more than 100 people were deployed to clean and disinfect each site.

Dr Salmon also thanked bird owners across the region for their support during the response.

“Thanks to local residents, we visited 350 properties, took 20,600 samples and completed 21,500 tests for the virus,” Dr Salmon said.

“Surveillance is key to gathering the evidence to show that the disease hasn’t spread. We couldn’t have done this without the help of bird and poultry owners.”

Local businesses also played an important role by supporting response staff. Food and fuel, accommodation, cleaning and security services, equipment hire and repair and maintenance supplies were provided to keep the response moving. 

Now that the emergency response has concluded, poultry and bird owners across Victoria are reminded to continue to follow good biosecurity practices. This includes:

• keeping sheds, yards, aviaries and equipment clean
• limiting contact between poultry and wild birds
• cleaning footwear and washing hands before and after handling birds or eggs
• quarantining new birds before mixing them with others.

Every producer should have a biosecurity plan and know the signs of disease.

If you see unexplained bird deaths, report them to the 24-hour Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888 or contact your local vet.

ACMA member and consumer lead Samantha Yorke said that the ACMA takes any disruption to an emergency call service very seriously given there could be devastating consequences for members of the public.

Telstra has committed to an independent review after it mistakenly disabled the connection to the emergency call relay service used by people with hearing and speech impairments.An Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) investigation found the 106 emergency call service number was inadvertently made unavailable for 12 hours and 46 minutes between 5 and 6 July 2024 following a server migration process.“This mistake could have contributed to very serious harm if someone who relies on this service had needed emergency assistance but was unable to get through,” Ms Yorke said.

“Fortunately, the records show no one attempted to use the 106 service for an emergency during the time the service was disabled.”

Under emergency call service rules, carriers must maintain the proper and effective functioning of their networks and facilities that are used to carry emergency calls.

Telstra has given the ACMA a court-enforceable undertaking to improve its relevant change management processes and engage an independent reviewer to look at the range of operational arrangements that support reliable delivery of the 106 emergency call service.

Telstra will implement any reasonable recommendations of the review, develop and provide staff training, and report regulatory to the ACMA on its progress implementing these undertakings.

Telstra has also paid a penalty of $18,780, the maximum the ACMA could impose under the circumstances.

Telco compliance with emergency call rules and the safeguarding of emergency call services is one of the ACMA’s 2024–25 compliance priorities.

In December 2024 the ACMA imposed a $3 million penalty on Telstra after an investigation found 473 breaches of emergency call rules when Telstra’s Triple Zero call centre experienced a disruption for 90 minutes.

Optus was penalised a record $12 million by the ACMA in November 2024 for its November 2023 network outage, which caused considerable disruption to emergency call services.