ACCAN has made a number of recommendations for changes to Communication Alliance's draft Emergency Call Service Requirements Code.
The capacity of communication networks and emergency warning systems to deal with emergencies and natural disasters
Friday, 15 April 2011
The tragedy of the recent Queensland floods has provided insight into the state of Australia's emergency services. The disaster has particularly highlighted the shortcomings of the emergency service and warning systems framework for Australians with disability.
Read more: capacity of communication networks and emergency warning systems
ACCAN believes the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) is constrained by its current governance structure and limited resources to truly reach its potential. The TIO needs to modernise and come into line with other industries, most notably to meet the benchmark set by the Financial Ombudsman Service.
During the course of our Fair Calls For All campaign some of ACCAN's members and supporters have raised concerns that services for domestic violence survivors are offered on 1800, 1300 and 13 numbers, which are prohibitively expensive to access from a mobile phone.
Read more: Inquiry into domestic violence trends and issues in NSW
ACCAN has recommended that the ACMA work towards a system that automatically provides location information to Emergency Service Operators when consumers call from a landline, mobile or VoIP phone.
Australia was reviewed for the first time under the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) mechanism before the United Nations Human Rights Council in Geneva in January 2011. The UPR is a peer review by all 192 United Nations Members States. Over 50 countries made statements about Australia’s human rights record and 145 recommendations were made.
Here, ACCAN outlines practical suggestions of how the Australian Government can implement UPR recommendations.