2019/20 Bushfire recovery and support updates
Free Wi-Fi locations (current)
4 June 2021 at 2:10pm
With the following evacuation centre now closed, our temporary Wi-Fi services have been deactivated at:
- Latchford Barracks (Australian Defence Force), Bonegilla (VIC)
11 May 2021 at 4:30pm
With the following evacuation centre now closed, our temporary Wi-Fi services have been deactivated at:
- Wulgulmerang Recreation Reserve, Wulgulmerang East (VIC)
Free Wi-Fi services continue to be available to local communities at the active evacuation centre listed at the top of this page.
8 April 2021 at 12:06pm
With the following evacuation centre now closed, our temporary Wi-Fi services have been deactivated at:
- Nymboida Blaze Aid Camp, Nymboida (NSW)
Free Wi-Fi services continue to be available to local communities at the active evacuation centres listed at the top of this page.
8 December at 10:06am
With the following evacuation centre now closed, our temporary Wi-Fi services have been deactivated at:
- Braidwood Showgrounds, Braidwood (NSW)
Free Wi-Fi services continue to be available to local communities at the active evacuation centres listed at the top of this page.
24 November at 5:59pm
With the following evacuation centre now closed, our temporary Wi-Fi services have been deactivated at:
- Wingham Blaze Aid Camp, Wingham Showgrounds, Wingham (NSW)
Free Wi-Fi services continue to be available to local communities at the active evacuation centres listed at the top of this page.
3 November at 12:20pm
With the following evacuation centre now closed, our temporary Wi-Fi services have been deactivated at:
- Willawarrin Blaze Aid Camp, Willawarrin (NSW)
Free Wi-Fi services continue to be available to local communities at the active evacuation centres listed at the top of this page.
24 September at 11:55am
With the following evacuation centre now closed, our temporary Wi-Fi services have been deactivated at:
- Cobargo Showgrounds, Cobargo (NSW)
Free Wi-Fi services continue to be available to local communities at the active evacuation centres listed at the top of this page.
16 September at 4:53pm
Free Wi-Fi services continue to be available to local communities at the active evacuation centres listed at the top of this page, including:
- Willawarrin Blaze Aid Camp, Willawarrin (NSW)
Please note: An earlier update made on 25 August 2020 advised this site had been shut down, however services are still available at Willawarrin Blaze Aid Camp.
25 August at 12:08pm
With the following evacuation centre now closed, our temporary Wi-Fi services have been deactivated at:
- Willawarrin Blaze Aid Camp, Willawarrin (NSW)
Free Wi-Fi services continue to be available to local communities at the active evacuation centres listed at the top of this page.
29 May at 9:55am
With the following evacuation centres now closed, our temporary Wi-Fi services have been deactivated at:
- Gosse (Western Districts) Football Club, Kangaroo Island (SA)
- Kangaroo Island – The Rockpool Cafe, Stokes Bay (SA)
- Lake Conjola Community Centre, Lake Conjola (NSW)
Free Wi-Fi services continue to be available to local communities at the active evacuation centres listed at the top of this page.
27 April at 4:18pm
With the following evacuation centres now closed, our temporary Wi-Fi services have been deactivated at:
- Bombala Community Centre, Bombala (NSW)
- Lake Conjola Bowling Club, Lake Conjola (NSW)
- Ulladulla Civic Centre, Ulladulla (NSW)
Free Wi-Fi services continue to be available to local communities at the active evacuation centres listed at the top of this page.
27 March at 9:52am
With the following evacuation centres now closed, our temporary Wi-Fi services have been deactivated at:
- Batemans Bay Soldiers Club, Batemans Bay (NSW)
- Lexton Blaze Aid Camp, Lexton (VIC)
- Woodenbong Blaze Aid Camp, Woodenbong (NSW)
Free Wi-Fi services continue to be available to local communities at the active evacuation centres listed at the top of this page.
5 March at 6:40pm
With the following evacuation centres now closed, our temporary Wi-Fi services have been deactivated at:
- Benambra Base Camp, Benambra (VIC)
- Kingscote Football Club, Kingscote (SA)
- Sale Baptist Church, Sale (VIC)
- Swifts Creek Recreation Reserve, Swifts Creek (VIC)
Free Wi-Fi services continue to be available to local communities at the active evacuation centres listed at the top of this page, including the following evacuation centres that have been added:
- Kangaroo Island -- The Rockpool Cafe, Stokes Bay (SA)
- Lake Conjola Bowling Club, Lake Conjola (NSW)
27 February at 11:20am
Free Wi-Fi services continue to be available to local communities at the active evacuation centres listed at the top of this page, including the following evacuation centre that has been added:
• Wulgulmerang Recreation Reserve, Wulgulmerang East (VIC)
12 February at 4:40pm
With the following evacuation centres now closed, our temporary Wi-Fi services have been deactivated at:
• Bairnsdale City Oval, Bairnsdale (VIC)
• Narooma Leisure Centre, Narooma (NSW)
Free Wi-Fi services continue to be available to local communities at the active evacuation centres listed at the top of this page.
30 January at 3:45pm
Free Wi-Fi services continue to be available to local communities at the active evacuation centres listed at the top of this page, including the following evacuation centres that have been added:
• Benambra Base Camp, Memorial Recreation Reserve, Benambra (VIC)
• Gosse (Western Districts) Football Club, Gosse, Kangaroo Island (SA)
• Mallacoota Community Hall, Mallacoota (VIC)
• Swifts Creek Recreation Reserve, Swifts Creek (VIC)
24 January at 10:45am
Free Wi-Fi services continue to be available to local communities at the active evacuation centres listed at the top of this page, including the following evacuation centre that has been added:
•Batemans Bay Soldiers Club, Batemans Bay (NSW)
With the following evacuation centres now closed, our temporary Wi-Fi services have been deactivated at:
• Hanging Rock Sports Club, Batemans Bay (NSW)
• Malua Bay Surf Club, Malua Bay (NSW)
23 January at 1:45pm
NBN Co has joined mobile support services, including Services NSW and Business Connect, on a Recovery Outreach Tour in New South Wales.
The tour aims to support bushfire-impacted communities by offering advice, support and assistance to small businesses.
Thursday 23 January
St Georges Basin
9-3pm
The Country Club
11 Island Point Road, Sanctuary Point
Friday 24 January
Lake Conjola
9-11:30
Lake Conjola Community Centre
Lake Conjola Entrance Road, Lake Conjola
Friday 24 January
Sussex Inlet
12:15-3pm
Sussex Inlet RSL Club, 200 Jacobs Drive, Sussex Inlet (next to the Post Office)
Wednesday 29 January
Gundagai
Time and address: TBC
Thursday 30 January
Batlow
Time and address: TBC
Friday 31 January
Adelong
Time and address: TBC
Tuesday 4 February
Kangaroo Valley
Time: TBC
Osborne Park Kangaroo Valley Showground, 179 Moss Vale Road, Kangaroo Valley (between the pool and the steps)
Wednesday 5 February
Nowra
Time: TBC
Junction St, Nowra (between Kinghorne and O’Connell Lane near NAB bank)
Thursday 6 February
Batemans Bay
Time and address: TBC
Friday 7 February
Moruya/Mogo
Time and address: TBC
21 January at 12pm
With the following evacuation centres now closed, our temporary Wi-Fi services have been deactivated at:
• Cooma Multi-Function Centre, Cooma (NSW)
• Omeo Recreation Reserve, Omeo (VIC)
Free Wi-Fi services continue to be available to local communities at the active evacuation centres listed at the top of this page.
17 January at 5:00pm
With the following evacuation centres now closed, our temporary Wi-Fi services have been deactivated at:
• Bega Showgrounds, Bega (NSW)
• Bermagui Surf Lifesaving Club, Bermagui (NSW)
• Goulburn Recreation Centre, Goulburn (NSW)
• Merimbula Sapphire Club, Merimbula NSW
• Merimbula RSL Club, Merimbula NSW
• Moruya Basketball Stadium, Moruya (NSW)
• St Georges Basin Country Club, Sanctuary Point (NSW)
• Tura Beach Golf Club, Tura Beach (NSW)
• Wagga Wagga Equex Centre, Wagga Wagga (NSW)
Free Wi-Fi services continue to be available to local communities at the active evacuation centres listed at the top of this page.
11 January at 1:45pm
Bushfires continue to impact large areas of southern New South Wales between Nowra and the Victorian border, East Gippsland in Victoria and the Victorian high country. A number of road closures and power outages persist in these regions with restricted access to many areas east of Bairnsdale.
Our understanding is that the weather change overnight has not had a large-scale impact on the bushfires. NBN Co will continue to monitor weather changes and mains power outages, and we will continue to refuel generators, where possible, in affected areas.
In New South Wales, all nbn™ services throughout the state remain operational.
In Victoria, a generator failed at approximately 2:30am this morning at Mt Nowa Nowa in East Gippsland, which temporarily impacted the availability of nbn™ services in the area. An nbn technician attended the site this morning, rectifying the issue and restoring network services to the area at approximately 10:30am. All nbn™ services in Victoria are operational.
On Friday 10 January, NBN Co installed Sky Muster™ satellite dishes to provide free Wi-Fi services at two additional Evacuation Centres at Nymboida Blaze Aid Camp, 3520 Armidale Road Nymboida NSW, and Tura Beach Golf Club, Lot 1441 The Fairway Tura Beach NSW. A total of 24 evacuation centres in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia now have an active nbn™ service with free Wi-Fi available to local communities.
On Saturday 11 January, nbn technicians will be working to install Sky Muster™ satellite dishes to provide free Wi-Fi services at four additional Evacuation Centres at Merimbula Sapphire Club, 119 Main Street, Merimbula NSW; Merimbula RSL Club, 52-54 Main Street Merimbula NSW; Lake Conjola Community Centre, Lot 7025 Lake Conjola Entrance Rd, Lake Conjola NSW; and Braidwood Showgrounds, Kings Highway Braidwood NSW. We hope to activate all four facilities later today.
10 January at 12:10pm
Unsettled weather is forecast to sweep through the South Coast of NSW and Northeast Victoria today and into this evening bringing high temperatures and strong winds. nbn is continuing to monitor and track the nbn™ access network with the changing weather and bushfire conditions.
In New South Wales, there is only one remaining nbn™ infrastructure site offline at Malua Bay. A technician is attending the site today to continue restoration works.
In Victoria, all nbn™ services that were previously impacted by the East Gippsland bushfires are online.
We continue to monitor the fire situation on Kangaroo Island, South Australia. There are currently no nbn™ assets impacted at this time and the network remains fully operational.
A refuelling strategy is in place in New South Wales and Victoria to support the continued operation of the nbn™ access network at sites that are still without mains power. Our strategy is to keep generators fuelled until the mains power recovers at these infrastructure sites. Fuel levels and refuelling status is being monitored daily.
nbn has installed Sky Muster™ satellite dishes to provide free Wi-Fi services at 22 evacuation centres in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. A full list of sites is published above.
Two nbn™ Road Muster trucks, offering free Wi-Fi services and mobile device charging facilities, news and weather updates, are also stationed at the evacuation centres at Hanging Rock Sports Oval in Batemans Bay and Malua Bay Surf Club. A third nbn™ Road Muster truck is travelling between Cobargo and Narooma to provide assistance to the community evacuation centres in the region, as required.
Additional Road Muster trucks with Wi-Fi capability are on standby in Victoria, ready to mobilise and respond to requests from local authorities, where needed.
9 January at 15:25
The bushfire situation in New South Wales and Victoria is expected to escalate tomorrow due to adverse weather conditions.
In New South Wales, there are ongoing nbn™ access network outages at three sites surrounding Batemans Bay on the South Coast: at Longbeach Hill, Malua Bay and Nelligen. We have technicians onsite working to restore services as soon as possible.
In Victoria, nbn technicians have successfully restored network services in the Corryong area, and we have recovered nbn™ access network services in and around Towong, Victoria and Khancoban, NSW over the past 24-48 hours. A number of network sites in East Gippsland, Victoria, continue to be supported by generator power, and nbn™ services are generally available throughout the state.
In bushfire-affected areas that are also impacted by mains power outages, we have a refuelling strategy in place to support the operation of nbn™ infrastructure at sites that are without mains power. Due to the size of the area impacted by power issues, and with fluctuating access conditions, we're conscious that there may be impacts to this plan over the coming days.
In addition to ongoing network protection and restoration work, nbn has installed Sky Muster™ satellite dishes to provide free Wi-Fi services at 21 evacuation centres in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. The two new locations we have added in the past 24 hours are at: Australian Defence Force – Latchford Barracks at Bonegilla, Victoria, and Woodenbong Blaze Aid Camp, NSW.
8 January at 17:15
8 January at 11:00
Fire activity continues in many areas of the South Coast and Southern Highlands and the high country of NSW, the East Gippsland area and the high country of Victoria, with cooler weather bringing some relief and more favourable conditions for firefighting efforts. Friday is forecast to be a high-risk day due to expected adverse weather conditions.
Mains power restoration in the Batemans Bay region, augmented by additional generator deployments over the past 24 hours, has resulted in significant improvement in the availability of nbn™ services in the area. We also expect to complete further restoration works in the Batemans Bay area later today. Overnight, our technicians repaired a fault in the Mossy Point area, restoring services to most residents and businesses in the area. For the remaining nbn™ infrastructure sites in the Batemans Bay area that are still without power, nbn will aim to have generators connected as soon as it is deemed safe to access these bushfire-affected areas.
After restoring services at Myrtle Gully in the Lake Conjola area yesterday, technicians have been able to access and inspect the second infrastructure site in the area. This site has sustained minor damage, a generator is being deployed, and we hope to bring the facility back online later today. Both sites will require further repairs or replacement to maintain their quality of service, long-term.
In Victoria, we have restored nbn™ services to parts of the Corryong area over the past 24 hours, however nbn™ services in and around Towong, Victoria and Khancoban, NSW continue to be impacted. Widespread power outages affecting the majority of areas east of Bairnsdale, Victoria continue to impact nbn™ services in those locations.
Additional nbn™ Sky Muster™ satellite dishes have now been installed at Malua Bay Surf Club, south of Batemans Bay, Cobargo Showgrounds in NSW, Wagga Wagga Equex Centre in NSW, Kingscote Football Club in South Australia, and Sale Baptist Church in Victoria, bringing temporary Wi-Fi and mobile device charging facilities to 19 evacuation centres in NSW, Victoria and South Australia.
Two nbn™ Road Muster trucks, offering free Wi-Fi services, news and weather updates, are currently stationed at the evacuation centres at Hanging Rock Sports Oval in Batemans Bay and Malua Bay Surf Club on the South Coast of NSW. Additional Road Muster trucks with mobile Wi-Fi capability are on standby in Victoria, ready to mobilise and respond to requests from local authorities, where needed. We will provide further updates once these trucks have been deployed and are on-location.
Fires on Kangaroo Island, South Australia are not currently threatening nbn™ assets.
Tropical Cyclone Blake crossed the coast near Broome yesterday as a Category 1 System, then moved back out to sea. It is currently tracking down the coast and expected to make landfall again near Wallal Downs. It is expected to be downgraded to a Tropical Low as it moves inland in a southerly direction. There has been no impact to the nbn™ access network in WA so far.
ACCAN details support available
7 January at 11:40
Bushfires continue to impact large areas of southern NSW, particularly between Nowra and Eden, and large areas of East Gippsland, Victoria and the Victorian high country. The current service impact is mostly attributed to widespread mains power loss across these bushfire-affected areas.
Power has been restored to many homes in Batemans Bay, Mossy Point and Moruya, resulting in a mass restoration of nbn™ services to those areas overnight.
We can confirm that there has been some impact to nbn™ infrastructure at two sites in the Lake Conjola area. nbn technicians successfully restored services at one site near Myrtle Gully overnight, and crews are working to restore services to the other facility at Lake Conjola as soon as possible. We will provide further updates as soon as full services in the area are restored.
nbn technicians with generators and other equipment have joined a telecommunications convoy heading into the Bermagui area of the NSW South Coast this morning to assess damage and begin any required repair works, where possible, as soon as possible.
Our technicians are on standby, awaiting access to fire-affected areas of Bermagui, Merimbula, Pambula, Tathra and Eden on the NSW South Coast and, as soon as it is safe to do so, we will install generators to provide power to nbn™ infrastructure in these areas.
In addition to the nbn™ Sky Muster™ satellite dishes installed at 14 evacuation centres in NSW and Victoria, which are currently offering free Wi-Fi, an nbn™ Road Muster truck is available at the Batemans Bay Evacuation Centre providing free Wi-Fi and a mobile device charging station. A second Road Muster truck is now stationed at Malua Bay Surf Club, south of Batemans Bay.
In Victoria, most nbn™ infrastructure remains fully operational, with the notable exception of some services in the Corryong area. We have no access to the area at present. We have generators ready for deployment to these sites if needed, and we will provide further updates. There are also widespread road closures and power outages in areas east of Bairnsdale, Victoria, which is affecting nbn™ services in the area.
In South Australia, fires on Kangaroo Island are not currently threatening nbn™ assets, so phone and internet services continue to operate as normal.
In Western Australia, we are monitoring Tropical Cyclone Blake. There has been no impact to nbn™ services in the area to date. Residents in the Kimberley and Pilbara are advised to remain on alert and monitor safety warnings.
6 January at 13:50
nbn™ services have been impacted in some fire-affected regions of New South Wales and Victoria, largely as a result of mains power outages.
We have generators on standby that will be deployed to priority areas as soon as those areas are accessible. We are also staging materials and people in Canberra (ACT) and Wollongong (NSW), ready to repair impacted sites where possible and as soon as possible.
Technicians are currently onsite working to recover damaged infrastructure at Lake Conjola (NSW). Inspections of other infrastructure in the area are being undertaken where access has been permitted. Generator deployments are also underway in parts of the Bermagui (NSW) region today.
In Victoria, nbn™ services are currently unavailable in the Corryong area.
There has been no impact to date on nbn™ services as a result of the bushfires on Kangaroo Island in South Australia, or the bushfires in Tasmania.
NBN Co is also providing free community Wi-Fi facilities at the locations listed below.
Bermagui Surf Lifesaving Club
1 Lamont St Bermagui (NSW)
Cooma Multi-Function Centre
10 Boundary St Cooma (NSW)
St Georges Basin Country Club
11 Paradise Beach Rd Sanctuary Point (NSW)
Hanging Rock Sports Club
Hanging Rock Pl Batemans Bay (NSW)
Ulladulla Civic Centre
81B Princes Hwy Ulladulla (NSW)
Bombala Community Centre
163 Maybe St Bombala (NSW)
Omeo Recreation Reserve
Park Street Omeo (VIC)
Bairnsdale City Oval
20 Macarthur Street Bairnsdale (VIC)
Goulburn Recreation Centre
155 Auburn Street Goulburn (NSW)
Narooma Leisure Centre
Corner of Princes Highway and Blue Water Drive Narooma (NSW)
Bega Showgrounds
Upper Street Bega (NSW)
Moruya Basketball Stadium
74 Albert Street Moruya (NSW)
Willawarrin Public Hall
24-26 Main Street Willawarrin (NSW)
Lexton Recreation Reserve
1 Prince Street Lexton (VIC)
Kingscote Football Club
Centenary Avenue Kingscote (SA)
Fingal Neighbourhood House
Update 7/1/20: This will no longer be deployed as it is not required at this stage.
20 Talbot St Fingal (TAS)
Ferny Creek Primary School
Update 7/1/20: This will no longer be deployed as it is not required at this stage.
34 School Rd Ferny Creek (VIC)
We’d like to thank the technicians who have been working tirelessly over the last few days.
Sam (pictured) is one of the many installers who have been working to connect evacuation centres across multiple states. They have played a critical role in helping us deliver temporary internet access to these communities.
Preparation key to staying connected in an emergency
When it comes to staying safe – and connected – in the event of an emergency, it pays to be prepared.
The nbn™ broadband access network is robust, but it is important that residents are aware that services over the nbn™ access network are likely to be affected by direct bushfire impact.
This is because equipment connected to services over the nbn™ access network – both at the telephone exchange and within homes and businesses – will not work during a power outage.