Blaring sirens on smartphones to warn Australians of major disasters under emergency alerts overhaul | Emergency planning
Australians will soon receive alerts of impending emergencies on their smartphones as governments overhaul warning systems for natural disasters and other serious events.
The $132 million AusAlert system will be rolled out in a series of trials from June and will replace government-based text messaging systems that are often strained by demand during major emergencies.
Alerts will be sent for public safety events such as wildfires, floods, biosecurity threats and shootings. The messages will direct users to more information from official sources online.
Similar systems are used in approximately 35 countries in the world.
AusAlert will appear as a home screen message on phones in designated geographic areas, rather than as a text message. Alerts will have the ability to target individual streets, with a high-level threat warning accompanied by a loud and intrusive tone.
Sign up: AÜ Breaking News email
Alerts will be received by anyone with a phone in a specific location during a specific time period, between 10 minutes and 24 hours.
A national test that will send alerts to approximately 23 million smartphones is planned for July 27 at 14:00. eastern time. 90% of phones in Australia are expected to receive them.
The system is designed to work with most phones released since 2019. Tests are being carried out for interactions between the system and smart watches, carplay systems and other devices.
Users will not be able to disable the top-level threat alert. The opt-out functionality will be available for lower-level threats known as priority alerts.
AusAlert is expected to be fully operational in October, ahead of the 2026-27 high-risk weather season. Current state-based emergency text alert systems will be phased out by July 2027.
Local testing is planned for June, including in Launceston, Port Douglas, Majura, Liverpool, Geelong, Tennant Creek, Goomalling and Port Lincoln in South Australia.
A cross-border trial is also planned in Queanbeyan, extending to Canberra.
Federal Emergency Management Secretary Kristy McBain said community-wide testing will be required. A major advertising and awareness campaign is also planned.
“This is an important project that will help us and emergency services alert people when they are in danger, save lives and protect property during a disaster, delivering a key finding of the royal commission into national natural disaster arrangements,” he said.
“This is a major advancement in Australia’s emergency communications landscape and I thank Australians in advance for their cooperation as we move into the launch phase of AusAlert ahead of the next high-risk weather season.”
Indi MP Helen Haines said the system would be severely weakened by mobile phone blackspots in regional areas. He called on telecommunications companies to run special disaster roaming services through their towers during emergencies, allowing rival networks to get coverage to their customers.
“Getting warning about a disaster is important, but it means nothing if you can’t access the telecommunications network,” he said.
“I have heard from many people who were in life-or-death situations during natural disasters, unable to get a signal when they needed it most.”
Shadow Emergency Services Minister Ross Cadell hinted at a higher cost than the initial $10 million price tag.
“This will only be successful if it is fully integrated across jurisdictions and emergency services,” he said.
“Australians need confidence that their national and state systems will operate smoothly.
“The government must now provide a clear implementation timeline, detailed assurance on system resilience, clarity on national coordination with states and territories and a full accounting of how the cost of the project has increased.”
