The Australian government is set to introduce legislation this week aimed at establishing a permanent watchdog for the country’s emergency call system, known as triple-0. Communications Minister Anika Wells announced plans to present a bill to Parliament, which will create a Triple-0 Custodian responsible for overseeing telecommunications providers and their emergency call systems.
The proposed legislation follows a significant outage experienced by Optus during a firewall upgrade last month, which was linked to three fatalities and disrupted triple-0 calls across four states. This incident highlighted the urgent need for oversight, prompting the government to act. The creation of the Triple-0 Custodian was one of the 18 recommendations resulting from a review initiated after a separate nationwide outage in November 2023.
Under the new laws, the watchdog will operate under the auspices of the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). It will have the authority to demand information from telecommunications providers and ensure compliance with performance standards. Minister Wells emphasized the importance of restoring public confidence in the triple-0 system, stating, “We know Australians’ confidence in triple-0 has been shaken, and it’s vital that it’s rebuilt.”
Enhanced Oversight and Accountability
The Triple-0 Custodian is expected to have comprehensive oversight of the emergency call system, providing “end-to-end” monitoring. This will include establishing performance requirements for telecommunications companies to meet community needs effectively. The Albanese Government had already committed to implementing all 18 recommendations from the previous review, with the Custodian being established administratively within the Communications Department earlier this year.
In an effort to enhance accountability, leaders from Australia’s major telecommunications companies, including Telstra, Optus, and TPG, have been summoned to Canberra for discussions on October 7. New legal obligations will come into effect on November 1, 2023, mandating these companies to report outages to ACMA and emergency services in real-time. Additionally, they will be required to conduct triple-0 testing during system upgrades and to develop improvement plans following outages.
Opposition communications spokeswoman Melissa McIntosh criticized the government for its delayed response to the previous recommendations. She pointed out that warning signs were evident during the first Optus outage in 2023, which fortunately did not result in any fatalities. “No one died. People died this time. This is life and death,” she asserted, underscoring the critical nature of effective emergency services.
The introduction of the Triple-0 Custodian represents a significant step towards enhancing the reliability and responsiveness of Australia’s emergency call system. As legislation moves forward, the government aims to ensure that such services are equipped to meet the needs of the community and prevent future tragedies.
