045/06
18 May 2006

Communications Systems Pass Disaster Test

The Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Senator Helen Coonan, welcomed the communications sector’s participation and support for yesterday’s disaster readiness exercise conducted in Sydney.

“Exercise Eclipse focused on the communications sector’s ability to respond to a major power disruption to the Sydney CBD,” Senator Coonan said.

“This scenario was further complicated by an unrelated disruption to Melbourne’s power supply.

“The exercise tested the reliance of telecommunications companies, broadcasters and postal services on electricity supply, and on the transport and liquid fuels industries in the provision of back up supplies in the event of a prolonged disruption.

“The importance of telecommunications services to maintaining ongoing services by broadcasters was also examined.”

More than 50 participants from the communications industry, other critical infrastructure sectors such as the transport and energy sectors, and Australian and State and Territory Government officials participated in the exercise.

The exercise was designed to test management strategies under the Communications Sector’s Risk Management Framework developed as part of the Government’s Trusted Information Sharing Network (TISN).

The Australian Government established TISN in 2003 to facilitate discussion and information sharing between industry and government on issues affecting Australia’s critical infrastructure

TISN’s Communications Sector Information Assurance Advisory Group co-chair Bill Davey, said that while substantial risk management arrangements were already in place, Exercise Eclipse was designed to refine strategies to make communications infrastructure more resilient by examining interdependencies between sectors.

“Exercise Eclipse is a good example of how the Government and industry can work together to improve the robustness of Australia’s critical infrastructure,” Senator Coonan said.