Disaster Support
Help for customers affected by natural disasters
If you've been affected by a bushfire, flood, cyclone, or other declared disaster — we're here to help. Call us on
1300 677 185 as soon as you safely can. We'll waive bills, pause services, replace hardware, and prioritise your reconnection at no cost.
What we offer
- Free service pause — suspend your service for up to 6 months without disconnecting your account or losing your number.
- Bill credits and waivers — we waive any late-payment, reconnection, and early-termination fees during a declared emergency.
- Free replacement hardware — if your modem or router is destroyed, we'll ship a replacement at no charge.
- Priority reconnection — we work with nbn co to prioritise reconnection of disaster-affected premises.
- Roaming SIM — we'll send a temporary 4G/5G SIM with data to keep you connected while your fixed line is being restored.
- Hardship referrals — we'll fast-track you to our Financial Hardship team for longer-term support.
What counts as a "declared disaster"
We act on:
- Any disaster declared by the Australian Government or a state/territory government;
- Any AGRN (Australian Government Reference Number) disaster recovery payment;
- Any event the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman has issued guidance about;
- And at our discretion when local events clearly affect a community we serve.
How to request help
- Call us on 1300 677 185. Mention "disaster support" and we'll route you straight to a dedicated agent.
- Or SMS the word DISASTER to 0456 783 922 with your account number and we'll call you back.
- Or email [email protected] with subject "Disaster Support".
You don't need to provide formal proof — we trust customers. If your home is unreachable and you've lost ID, just tell us. We'll work it out.
Other help
- National Emergency Management Agency — nema.gov.au
- Services Australia disaster payments — servicesaustralia.gov.au
- Australian Red Cross emergency support — 1800 RED CROSS (1800 733 276)
- Lifeline — 13 11 14 (24/7)
Staff safety
During active emergencies we may pause non-essential work to ensure our team can support customers and look after themselves. Thank you for understanding if response times are slower during major events.