Federal Member for Macquarie Susan Templeman has welcomed a pilot program by Telstra that means Bilpin residents will be able to continue communicating during a power failure.

“This is the culmination of many years of fighting by the Bilpin community, and I’ve been proud to be their voice in Parliament and with Telstra during this journey,” Ms Templeman said.

“Under this program, an authorised person who lives in the local community can flick the switch to start up the generator that keeps power going to the communications tower when the mains go down.

“Previously, back-up power was only available for 14 hours from a battery before communications went down altogether, and a Telstra technician was required to come and restore it.

“During emergencies like the Black Summer bushfires when the entire area was considered a hot spot, technicians weren’t allowed in for safety reasons, leaving locals without communications once the battery ran out.

“After many discussions with Telstra, and a visit here two years ago after the Black Summer fires, I’m really pleased to see they have a solution to trial, based on the information they received from us.

“It means someone who lives in the area will be able to come and switch on the generator if the mains power is off for an extended period of time before the battery runs out. That will keep power flowing to the tower, and locals will still be able to operate their phones.

“It’s a huge win for the community on an issue I have been fighting for alongside them since coming to Parliament in 2016.

“Convincing Telstra to replace the old, eight-hour back-up battery with the new 14-hour model in February 2020 was one step, but this is a significant leap in keeping the community connected.

“Residents, including people with a deep understanding of telecommunications like Marty Graham, have been very patient in working through the concerns that Telstra had