CUSTOMER SERVICE ADVICE FROM OPTUS

Staff Redeployment impact service in Mildura and part of the surrounding Mallee District in Victoria.

Due to the effect of a series of severe weather and flooding events which have caused damage to the telecommunications network throughout widespread areas of Tasmania, there has been a significant increase in the number of Optus services being reported as faulty in those regions.

Due to the extent and severity of these ongoing extreme weather events, Optus is redeploying a large number of staff from across Australia to the affected regions. As a result, there will be delays to normal installation and repair activities in the Mildura area and part of the surrounding Mallee District in Victoria as staff from this region are redeployed.

Optus apologises to any affected customers.

Information as to the nature of the severe weather events can be sourced from the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM). Heavy rainfall and flooding are referred to in the BOM Severe Weather warning issued for 4 June 2016 initially at 5:34 pm EST on Saturday 4 June 2016, reference number IDT28100. Additionally these unusually severe weather events have been widely reported by most of the news media.

Optus has identified that the effect of these circumstances may apply to approximately 60 services in Mildura and part of the surrounding Mallee district. Some of these services may not be installed or repaired within Optus standard time frames. The number of possibly affected services may increase or decrease as Optus assesses the full effect of the extreme weather conditions. Based on current information, the resumption date of Optus normal service operations is expected to be 10 July 2016. This date is indicative only, however, and may be subject to change once the full impact of the extreme weather conditions has been assessed.

Optus regrets any inconvenience caused to customers and thanks them for their patience while this work is being undertaken.

Optus services encompassed in this exemption are in the area bounded by and including, but not limited to, the area starting at Berriwillock in Victoria, heading east to the South Australian border. The boundary follows the border north to New South Wales and then follows the New South Wales/South Australian border to the Tarawi Nature Reserve. From the reserve, the area heads northeast to Scotia, east to Pan Ban, and southeast to Balranald then continuing southeast crossing the NSW/Victoria border back to Berriwillock. All suburbs and towns, including off shore islands and coastal areas serviced by Optus within these boundaries are encompassed in this exemption.

Services in the area mentioned above with phone numbers in the following number ranges may have been affected:

0350180000 To 0350353999	0350701000 To 0350956999
0350486000 To 0350486999	0353957000 To 0353964999
0350500000 To 0350559999

As these circumstances were outside of Optus control, Optus is claiming an exemption from compliance with time frames and performance standards required under the Telecommunications (Customer Service Guarantee) Standard 2011. Therefore Optus is notifying customers that normal installation and repair time frames may not be met during the period from 20 June 2016 to 10 July 2016 inclusive (based on Optus estimated recovery schedule correct at the time of publication of this notice) and, under section 21 of the Telecommunications (Customer Service Guarantee) Standard 2011, Optus will be exempt from complying with performance standards during this period.

If you have any questions regarding your eligibility for a CSG payment under this notice, or wish to have us reconsider whether the circumstances were a proper basis for claiming an exemption, you can contact Optus on 13 39 37– quoting CSG exemption reference number 20062016-VIC-S-C-P-MILDURA AND SURROUNDING AREA_RUL You can also view a copy of this notice on our Internet site www.optus.com.au/msd If, after calling Optus on the above number, you remain unsatisfied with our response to your query, you have the option of raising the matter with the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO). Information on the TIO and contact details are available on the Internet (www.tio.com.au) and in the White Pages® telephone directory.