Severe Weather events impact service in Sydney Metropolitan District and parts of the Illawarra, South Coast and Central Tablelands Districts.

Optus is working to manage the significant impact to Optus services that has occurred as a result of a series of severe weather events in the Sydney Metropolitan District and parts of the Illawarra, South Coast and Central Tablelands Districts of New South Wales on or about Thursday 7 February 2017.

Due to the effect of damage to the telecommunications network by heavy rainfall and damaging winds, there has been a significant increase in the number of Optus services being reported as faulty. As a result, there has been some disruption to service and delays to normal installation and repair activities in the directly affected areas, and across the Mallee district due to the need to redeploy Optus staff to the affected areas.

Optus apologises to any affected customers.

Information as to the nature of these severe weather events can be sourced from the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM). Heavy rainfall and damaging winds are referred to in the BOM Severe Weather Warning issued for Tuesday 7 February 2017 initially at 11.02am reference number (IDN65156) all of which were widely reported in the news media after the events.

Optus has identified that the effect of these circumstances may apply to approximately 21 services. 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 severe weather conditions. Based on current information, the resumption date of Optus’s normal service operations is expected to be 2 April 2017. 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 are not limited to the area starting at Balranald in New South Wales, heading south east to Noorong and Tullakool. From Tullakool the area heads south west to Barham before crossing the Victorian border and heading south east to Leitchville. From Leitchville, the area heads south west to Pyramid Hill before turning north west to Macorna. From Macorna the area continue north west to Sandhill Lake and Lalbert. From Lalbert, the area continues north west to Waitchie before turning north east to Nyah and continuing north to Natya. From Natya, the area heads north east and crosses over the New South Wales border back to Balranald. All suburbs and towns serviced by Optus within these boundaries are encompassed in this exemption.

How will this affect you?

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

0344322000 to 0344322999 | 0350719000 to 0350730099

0350200000 to 0350399999 | 0354503000 to 0354579999

0350486000 to 0350486999

What else do you need to know?

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 March 2017 to 2 April 2017 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.

Need more information?

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 20032017-VIC-S-C-P-SWAN HILL 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.