Outage puts block on emergency calls

Last week, towns around the Wheatbelt dealt with power, mobile and water outages, as corporations grappled with generators, trying to get their services back online.

Some residents on spur lines were in their seventh day of outages earlier this week and the connection was still patchy for those who had their power back within a few days.

It is understood one local resident was bitten by a snake and because there was no phone signal to call for help, he was driven to medical care.

Mount Marshall Shire president Tony Sachse said both Telstra and Western Power were active in fixing the problems, but for Telstra, resources were limited.

The telecommunications company deployed some generators in Bencubbin and Beacon to try to restore the network, however in Beacon, the generator didn't work.

Without power, there were also problems accessing diesel fuel.

"The back-up battery for Telstra only lasts a limited amount of time," Mr Sachse said.

"Telstra do deploy generators as they can, but they wouldn't have had enough generators to service all of the towns in the Mount Marshall Shire.

"The lack of communications has been an ongoing problem with power outages.

Only residents who own an iPhone 14 or above, or are connected to SkyMuster or Starlink are able to dial triple zero during a power outage.

For one Beacon resident, this meant they were left in the dark during a medical emergency.

Mr Sachse said there were several problems around Telstra's communications network in the Wheatbelt, but were working with Telstra alongside other councils and emergency services to resolve the issue.

He said these problems had been a focus of the Shire for at least a decade, with multiple "significant" instances where wind and flooding events have damaged the network.

"Telstra has done what it could, but I think there's a lot of disappointment," Mr Sachse said.

"I think there's anxiety and concern, feeling safe and being worried about your loved ones and vulnerable people.

"But also for staff who are on the job, it's been a concern for employers.

"The flow-on effect is quite significant,"

Mr Sachse acknowledged the frustrations and insecurity felt by the local community, but remained hopeful the locality and Telstra could come to a solution in the next 12 months.

He was determined to not let the issue slip once the connections were restored and business as usual resumed.

"We've budgeted to help financially, our Shire is prepared to work through it," Mr Sachse said.

"This (outage) will be a further impetus to get a better outcome."Some critical infrastructure in every town would be a good start."

A grain farmer from Bencubbin said the power at his farm 25 kilometres north east of Bencubbin was still without power, as it was connected to a spur line.

Andrew Putt said fortunately, he had some fuel on his farm, but others were unable to buy some to fuel their generators.

He said one farmer travelled about 60km to the next town to buy some fuel.

The power outages were inconvenient, however Mr Putt said he was more worried about not having mobile service.

"For the first two or three days there was no phone signal at all, then it was intermittent."

Mr Putt said his wife realised she was low on her medication, highlighting how dangerous it could be for people in need.

As well as this, EFTPOS was out of action, making it difficult for others at the supermarket counter, and the water pressure was low, adding another strain to livestock farmers.

"I've been told many times that I'm living in the past, but I don't go anywhere without cash," Mr Putt said.

"It's probably the worst or longest outage I've experienced in 50 years.

"Being a young bloke in the 60s and 70s, with no air conditioners, it makes you sort of think back to that time, the only difference is when you're a bit younger you can perhaps tolerate things a bit more."