Telstra’s Global Operations Centre provides 24/7 monitoring across all Telstra networks, including working with emergency services and field groups to establish restoration priorities during emergency incidents.

Royston Bruce jointing a new section of 800 pair cable damaged in the floods at Rocklea (Qld).

Road access was a huge issue, a bridge at Jugiong, NSW.

John ‘Tack’ Hewett rows a boat across a customer’s paddock to

get to the job (Vic).

During the summer’s inclement weather even the

wildlife had to find alternative accommodation (NSW).

The BigPond® branding and the lady diving on the side of the van is quite ironic considering the situation. Location: Outside the Rochester Post Office, (Vic).

Brad Shaw from Beaufort on the Quambatook-Wychitell Road, Barraport West, near Boort (Vic).

Peter Hickey from Mildura (Vic) checks out his mud mags.

Peter O'Loughlan, wading through water to get to a job. The water was caused by Lake Boort overflowing and inundating the Yando/Boort area (Vic).

Parked in a paddock near Moore Exchange (Qld) are (l-r) Marshall Watego, Laurie Kipping and Bob Lang.

Dave Webb took this shot of the Black Hawk’s arrival at Theodore (Qld) and was on hand to help unload equipment.

St George Exchange (Qld) was wrapped in plastic and sandbagged by Steve Strugnell and Shane Golding.

When everything is

wet you have to share the dry

spots.

Road access was a major

issue. A road just

north of Esk, South East

Queensland.

John Parkin chatting with a local across a washed-out bridge just outside of Murphy’s Creek (Qld)."How's services mate? Are you still connected?""Yup, no worries and thanks for asking."

Working to restore services to Mt Sylvia (Qld) residents are (l-r) John Mason and Eric Walsh.

Andrew Greenstreet from Christchurch, one of the 29 NZ volunteers, helps repair a MDF at St Lucia (Qld). Note the watermarks on the wall – well above Andrew’s head.

Radio linesman Dave Noonan finishes mopping out the Rocklea (Qld) site. The water reached the ceiling, quite a feat considering the hut is three metres off the ground.

At Bushland Beach, Townsville (Qld).

Clint Dickson set up a Satellite Cell on Wheels on Palm Island (Qld).

Matt Totterdell and Roger Williams replacing a 400 pair copper cable, Carnarvon (WA).

Their team manager at the time advised, “These guys had just got changed out of their wet clothes five minutes before this downpour.”

A 500 kilogram Brahman Bull lying on our cable was just one problem the Broome (WA) crew faced.

A Carnarvon (WA) RIM roadside cabinet sits high and dry.

A payphone outside the BP service station in Carnarvon (WA) didn’t fare so well.

Dale Richards undertaking repairs to burnt out copper cables, after fires at Lake Clifton (WA).

Techs Craig Liddle and Peter Stone trying to secure temporary cable to the trees to prevent it floating onto the Great Northern Highway (WA).

Due to the reoccurring nibbles on the cable, the culprit was christened the ‘Kimberley cougar’ by

the Broome (WA) team. The legend of the ‘cougar’ is right up there with the Loch Ness Monster,

Nullarbor Nymph and the Abominable Snowman.

A number of Telstra team members involved in Cyclone Yasi recovery efforts were invited to meet His Royal Highness Prince William on Saturday, 19 March. Below: Brian Crane meets Prince William.

In recognition of the efforts Telstra teams put in during the Queensland floods and

Cyclone Yasi, Telstra has won the Community

Contribution award at the 2011 Communications Alliance & CommsDay

ACOMM Awards in Sydney on

7 July 2011.

The Australian Institute of Management recognised ourNorthern Region Disaster

Recovery team at a state-level with a Queensland Project of the Year Award

Telstra Operations thanks families of team members

“I am always in awe of the patience and understanding of our employees’ family members; the mums, dads, wives, husbands, brothers, sisters, sons and daughters; who put up with the absence of their loved one for weeks-on-end during the restoration phase.After crises such as these, it is understood that birthdays, anniversaries and other important family milestones are sometimes missed. Words cannot convey how grateful we are to our people’s families for their support during this time.” – Mick Cooper, Team Manager, Service Delivery West

Jason Wade, leaving Grantham (Qld), 18/01/11.