Member for Gilmore, Fiona Phillips is delighted to announce that the community of South Durras will now have more secure communications in the event of bushfires and extreme weather events.

This project was a key election commitment for Fiona Phillips, with the Albanese Labor Government committing $221,000 to improve the resilience of power and telecommunications infrastructure for South Durras.

A portion of this funding has been used to relocate the power cables to the local NBN fixed-wireless tower, ensuring more resilient communication in the event of an extreme weather event or bushfire.

Previously the cable had been above ground close to trees and other hazards. This meant that the cable could be easily severed or damaged during the event of a bushfire or other extreme weather event. Relocating the cable underground greatly reduces the risk of damage and provides more reliable NBN to the surrounding communities.

“I saw the terrible circumstances South Durras faced during the bushfires. That’s why I made improved power and telecommunications for this community an election commitment,” Fiona said.

“They said plain and simple they need their NBN connectivity to be more disaster resilient, and I made it a priority to get it done,” Fiona said.

“The Durras community is an organised, resilient and reliable one, and I want their power and telecommunications to reflect that,” Fiona said.

“I’d like to thank the Durras Community Association, Essential Energy, and the broader community, for their monumental efforts – well done,” Fiona said.