Telco blames Mullumbimby tower outage on arson

Was it electrical problems, or was it an arsonist that took down the Mullum Telstra tower? While services were restored on Monday, Telstra customers in Mullumbimby were left without a service since March 18, adding to the already stressful post-flood clean-up and rebuild.

Telstra’s media team, along with local federal MP, Justine Elliot (Labor), were quick to say it was arson – but the police so far have only said they are treating the fire as suspicious.

A cohort of Mullum residents have consistently protested against 5G installation for around two years, with vigils being held onsite behind the town’s post office. The Echo understands that during the floods, however, Telstra took the opportunity to install 5G when the protesters were unable to keep the vigil.

A police media unit spokesperson told The Echo the case is being handled by Tweed Byron detectives. They urge anyone with information to contact them.

A temporary tower has been installed for 3G and 4G mobile coverage, a Telstra spokesperson said.

‘The impact across the town was significant,’ said Jenelle Stanford, President of the Mullumbimby Chamber of Commerce.

‘Ninety per cent of businesses had no Eftpos which cuts business by at least 50 per cent. For local businesses that are just trying to keep their doors open and get back to business following the flood it felt like a kick in the teeth. It crippled us again, it is just exhausting.’

The destruction of the tower also meant that the link to the Billinudgel tower was taken out leaving the north of the shire without comms.

‘We have managed to restore the radio link to the Billinudgel tower yesterday which restored services to Billinudgel and the North of the Shire,’ a Telstra spokesperson told The Echo this morning.

Vandalism not condoned says 5G opposition

Corrina Beacham, from Northern Rivers For Safe Technology (NRFST) says her group does not condone vandalism, or violence, and are ‘aware this act has severely hindered those who rely on this tower for communications’.

She told The Echo, ‘It is very pre-emptive of Telstra and [other] media to be pointing fingers of blame before a proper investigation has been completed. It’s interesting to see how quick Telstra has jumped on social media with bizarre assertions, yet were totally silent for the three years we asked legitimate, valid questions pertaining to safety and health issue being raised world-wide. Let’s not forget the many cities who’ve banned this new technology, as it is untested and has [potenitally] serious implications long-term on our health and the environment’.

Tashi Lhamo, also from NRFST supported Ms Beacham’s comments and added that, ‘Telstra has shown a complete disregard for the community, as they took the opportunity to install 5G infrastructure, despite a moratorium against the upgrade, that was unanimously passed by Byron Shire Council in March 19, 2020’.

Lack of emergency disaster communications plans

Local federal MP Justine Elliot doubled down on calling the tower a deliberate act, despite The Echo asking ‘How is this responsible commentary, given the possibility of other causes?’

The Echo also asked Ms Elliot whether there is any legislation that requires robust telecom infrastructure to withstand such natural events, given it appears regulator, the AMCA, say it is not required to do so.

‘Do you know if such laws exist and if not, why doesn’t it? Will you lobby for that?’

She told The Echo, ‘The recent devastating floods showed how both the Federal and State Governments have failed our region – failed to plan, failed to act, and have failed to deliver enough funding to support our community’.

‘One of greatest failures was the Morrison Government’s lack of any emergency disaster communications plans when our entire communications capacity collapsed with more 60,000 losing access to the NBN, thousands unable to use their mobiles and unable to phone 000. This resulted in lives being put at risk and thousands isolated with no capacity to contact anyone.

‘Locals were rightly horrified that the Morrison Government had no capacity or plans put in place to help us. Instead, it fell to the community to find solutions such as installing satellites themselves at community centres.

‘What we saw was thousands suffering without vital communications through the flooding crisis and I remain deeply upset and disgusted at the deliberate burning of a phone tower in Mullumbimby. As a result of the arson attack, locals relying on their mobile phones faced the unacceptable situation where mobile phone services were crippled in and around Mullumbimby.

‘Authorities have advised me that this fire was deliberately lit, and a criminal investigation is underway. If anyone has any information to assist police in their investigations they are encouraged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

‘We have just lived through the experience of a lack of communication through an emergency – when people could not use their phones and were stranded without rescue. This deplorable act by criminals has further crippled our infrastructure when our community has suffered so much from the flood’, Justine added.

NBN failure

Meanwhile, Tweed Heads Branch ALP Secretary, Jim Gamack, told The Echo that at their March 2022 meeting they resolved ‘to call on the Minister for Communications, Mr Paul Fletcher (MP), to institute an enquiry to examine the mass failure of NBN and the mobile phone network on the entire Far North Coast during the recent flood emergency’.

He told The Echo, ‘Such an enquiry to canvas the inability to receive critical warnings of imminent danger and inability to contact emergency services when in danger. We seek a review of the flood vulnerability of both the NBN and the mobile network, the failure of which exacerbated the scale of the disaster on the Far North Coast. We consider an emergency communication system that only works in good weather is useless’.