NICK WILSON/ AAP
DOMESTIC violence victim-survivors may be more isolated from friends and family under a national emergency alert system, an expert warns.
Mobile phones around the nation will blast out a 10-second siren on Monday as part of a nationwide test of Australia’s new emergency warning system.
It comes ahead of AusAlert’s planned national rollout in October, aiming to provide alerts for bushfires, floods and other natural disasters.
The announcement immediately sparked concerns for domestic violence victim-survivors, some of whom keep a hidden mobile device for their safety.
The test will be classed as a “critical alert”, meaning there is no option to silence or mute the siren unless a phone is switched off or on airplane mode.
While vulnerable Australians are warned to take precautions on Monday, questions remain as to how they can protect themselves on an ongoing basis.
Given the nature of emergency incidents, victim-survivors could have little to no advanced warning, said Rachael Burgin, a senior lecturer in criminal justice at Melbourne’s Swinburne University.
“In the long term, it is not reasonable to expect victim survivors to just always have the phone off,” Dr Burgin said.
“Being connected to community is a really significant protective factor for victim survivors, so those are real concerns.”
She gave the example of live location sharing, a common practice for people in situations of abuse to keep family and friends abreast of their movements.
Being forced to keep a phone off or on airplane mode could sever that link, while some may not have enough time to wait for a device to switch back on when required.
“What happens for victim-survivors when they need that phone to be on so that they can call for services, or they can access it in situations of escalating danger?” she said.
The AusAlert system was created following the 2020 Royal Commission into Natural Disaster Management to patch gaps in existing state-based emergency alerts.
While it is designed to operate as a standalone national system, some states and territories will continue to use their own alerts when AusAlert comes into effect in October.
Some jurisdictions have raised concerns, including how those reliant on landlines and non-English speaking households will be protected.
Emergency Management Minister Kristy McBain met with state and territory counterparts on Wednesday to address those concerns.
The National Emergency Management Agency has consulted with Australia’s peak domestic and family violence services body Wesnet on the potential risks.
Karen Bentley, chief executive at Wesnet, advised vulnerable people to switch their phones off or onto airplane mode one hour before Monday’s test at 2pm AEST.
“Critical alerts are the highest level of warning and will only be used, hopefully, in the most extremely rare situations,” she said.
Not all states and territories are sold on adopting a national emergency warning system for Australia’s high-risk weather season.
Some jurisdictions will continue using their own warning systems once AusAlert is rolled out, Ms McBain said.
It would be up to each state and territory government to decide if it would allow the new AusAlert system to operate alongside their state-based programs.
“I’m sure that they’ve all got varying views on what they may need to do for this high-risk weather season,” she said.
Among the cohort is Queensland Emergency Services Minister Dan Purdie, who said he hoped to address concerns about how the system would serve regional communities.
The Crisafulli Government supported the technology, but questions remained about how those relying on landlines would be contacted, he said.
“Some states (have) indicated they might at this point be reluctant to roll it out,” he said. “We’ll know more today after answering these questions.”
The AusAlert system will allow text and audio alerts to be sent to most active mobile devices across the country, and eventually be extended to landline phones via automated voice.
Regional and remote communities, which are more likely to rely on landlines, may still be able to receive alerts through state-based warning systems.