Colac Otway Shire Council has asked the Federal Government to put satellite phones in “community hubs” in the Otways to provide a phone service during bushfires.
Mayor Brian Crook had a meeting with Federal Communications Minister Stephen Conroy on Monday along with council chief executive officer Rob Small and Member for Corangamite Darren Cheeseman.
Cr Crook said he asked for phones so people could stay connected if a fire or emergency cut access to landline phones.
“He is looking into the prospect of placing satellite phones in community hubs throughout the Otways,” he said.
Cr Crook said communities would be involved in identifying sites for the phones.
“The community would know there is a satellite phone at that point in the case of an emergency,” he said.
Cr Crook said that the landline phone connection was one of the first services to fail during the Marysville fire on February 7.
“Satellite phones were the only mode of communication,” he said.
Cr Crook said he also raised a broader issue of a lack of mobile phone coverage in the Otways, and he said the minister would continue investigations into the issue.
He said Senator Conroy would encourage Telstra to be more proactive about improving coverage.
The council has encouraged Otways residents to consider buying their own satellite phones using a Federal Government rebate for up to 85 per cent of the cost of a satellite service.
“It would give you access to communications at around the costs of the Next G system, not substantially more,” Cr Crook said.
Mr Cheeseman said the satellite phone rebate was for people living in an area without standard mobile coverage.
“I would say it would cover the vast bulk of people who live in the Otways,” he said.
“Satellite phones provide 100 per cent coverage basically throughout the Otways.”
Meanwhile, Cr Crook said the ABC had given the council signs to erect on main roads in the Otways to advise people of the frequency for ABC radio broadcasts, which provide emergency information.
“The signs will be provided free of charge by the ABC and will be erected by council,” he said.

Cr Brian Crook