Transcript - 3AW Drive - 29 September 2025

Melissa McIntosh MP
Shadow Minister for Communications
Shadow Minister for Women
Federal Member for Lindsay

29 September 2025

Transcript

3AW Drive with Heidi Murphy

Topics: Triple zero outage; Triple Zero inquiry; Optus; ACMA.

EO&E …

Heidi Murphy

On the line is Melissa McIntosh. She is the Shadow Communications Minister. I wanted to talk about this series of outages and what it is that needs to happen from here on in from her perspective. Thanks for your time this afternoon, Melissa.

Melissa McIntosh

Thank you for having me on.

Heidi Murphy

How widespread a geographic area was this outage yesterday?

Melissa McIntosh

The one yesterday was in Dapto, around the Wollongong area of New South Wales. But I guess the main point of this, is that shouldn't be happening anywhere. Australians should have confidence in this most essential telecommunications service and the more this goes on, the less confident people will be. Some of the calls that were made to Triple Zero during that time seem to be from people testing the service. Because they're testing the service, it means that they're losing confidence in the service. And it's not just Optus. Even though Optus is making the headlines. It's been revealed that NBN also had a Triple Zero outage. So this is not good enough. Australians deserve to be able to call Triple Zero when they need it most. So I'm calling for a completely independent investigation, not just into Optus, but into the whole Triple Zero network ecosystem. And I think all telcos should have a public register if they have an outage of Triple Zero that every single Australian can see it, it's public, we know it's happening. Because I fear that this might be happening more often than people realise.

Heidi Murphy

How many investigations are underway so far?

Melissa McIntosh

Optus is holding its own investigation

Heidi Murphy

And that's it?

Melissa McIntosh

The Government has appointed ACMA, which is the regulator. I have an issue with ACMA conducting this investigation for a number of reasons. They conducted the investigation after the 2023 outage. There's a whole lot of recommendations from that outage. The government hasn't pursued all of those recommendations. There's a number outstanding. The other reason why I don't think that ACMA - it's too slow there. The other reason I don't think they should be conducting the investigation was when this outage happened, when, sadly, four people passed away, Optus did alert the regulator, ACMA, on the Thursday and the Minister, the Communications Minister, did not find out, she says, until Friday. What happened between that time when ACMA found out about it and then the Minister found out a whole day later? I don't think ACMA as a regulator can be part of the investigation when they're caught up in the failed process.

Heidi Murphy

So who would you - would you run it through Parliament? Or you'd run it? What, you'd appoint some commissioner? What form would this inquiry of yours take?

Melissa McIntosh

The Minister has a couple of options. She can, under the Telco Act, she can immediately, urgently, have an investigation into the Triple Zero network. She could appoint anyone she wanted to run an investigation. She could put experts on engineers. I'm not the only one calling for an independent investigation. Now we have ACCAN, which is the community group that looks after consumers, the consumer advocacy network, and we have a number of telco experts now calling for an independent investigation. So the government's been too slow on this. The Minister was overseas all week last week, along with the Prime Minister, while this crisis had been unravelling. They need to step up. We haven't heard from them today and they need to take this very, very seriously. Triple O: people's lives depend on this service operating efficiently.

Heidi Murphy

I think I was reading there's a meeting tomorrow with the Singaporean bosses of Optus and the Minister.

Melissa McIntosh

Well, that's something, isn't it? But this needs to be fixed. As I said, I think it's broader than just Optus. It's the whole telecommunications network around Triple Zero that needs to be thoroughly investigated to make sure that it's still fit for purpose.

Heidi Murphy

Do you think Optus is doing enough when it comes to customers being informed? Clearly, they're not doing enough with government being informed or emergency services, necessarily.

Melissa McIntosh

Well, Optus said during the outage the other week that they were getting calls from customers telling them that there was an outage. So I don't, you know, I don't think that equals letting customers know quick enough. And I think that's part of the issue. And that's why I would like a register, because I think it's really important that customers do know straight away. And customers can then look at a public register and say, well, this company's had multiple outages of Triple Zero. I don't have confidence in them. And they will help them make better consumer choices as well, which is what it's all about. But at the end of the day, and we're approaching disaster season with bushfires and the heat of summer, and it doesn't matter what time of year, people have their own personal crisis as well, they should be able to pick up the phone and call Triple Zero. This is about looking after Australians first and foremost. I don't think anyone would argue that we should be doing anything differently than put our citizens first.

Heidi Murphy

How certain can we be that this won't happen again?

Melissa McIntosh

We can't be. I said this last week. I fronted the media and said, I would hate to be standing here next week, but I fear that unless things happen really fast and it's a priority, this can keep happening and it is happening over and over again. And now we've heard that the NBN has experienced similar outages and although lives have not been lost, thankfully, thank goodness. It doesn't mean that.

Heidi Murphy

In this most recent one.

Melissa McIntosh

That's exactly right, yeah. But four lives were lost just the other week, so we just don't know. And that's. That's the fear around Australians losing confidence in this essential service.

Heidi Murphy

And in terms of the changes that were supposed to be made after the last one, the last big outage, what, two years ago? Last year. Two years ago. How many of those changes that were recommended as part of that, how many of them have taken effect? Any?

Melissa McIntosh

It's not clear. That's the thing, we don't actually know how many. It's not been public. The Minister hasn't come out and said how many have been implemented, but it's on her to make sure those recommendations are implemented and it is on ACMA who has made the recommendation. So why haven't they been done? One of them was around a custodian that could ensure that the efficiency of the Triple Zero network, it's just so.

Heidi Murphy

Do we have one? Is there a custodian?

Melissa McIntosh

Well, that's the question. That was one of the recommendations. You know, if we can find out, that would be wonderful. But right now, I think everything, every lever should be pulled, everything should be done to ensure that Triple Zero is as effective as it should be.

Heidi Murphy

Will we reach a point where it's just taken out of the telcos hands? I mean, is that possible?

Melissa McIntosh

As in where it goes to.

Heidi Murphy

I don't know. But when you call Triple Zero, it just goes to whatever tower is nearest and whatever service picks it up. Is there a - is there a giant override button?

Melissa McIntosh

We have that already.

Heidi Murphy

Oh, right.

Melissa McIntosh

Well, that’s - well, you're right, you're sort of spot on. That is meant to happen. It's called Camp On. So if you're Optus customer and Triple Zero is not working, then it'll go to Telstra or TPG.

Heidi Murphy

Yeah, but it doesn’t.

Melissa McIntosh

Another network. But this hasn't. And it seems like it hasn't happened in the outies. That happened in Dapto yesterday as well. So that's another question. Why isn't the other telco providers picking up these calls? This is what is meant to happen.

Heidi Murphy

Yeah, and it is staggering to me that it doesn't. It's alarming to. Not just staggering, it's alarming.

Melissa McIntosh

It is alarming. It's alarming to think that people who really, really need help can't get it because of the failures, multiple failures. And that's why the government needs to act quick. Their number one priority, any government, is for the citizens of their country.

Heidi Murphy

Alright, Melissa, thank you for your time this afternoon.

Melissa McIntosh

Thank you very much.