Power and Water: Maningrida customers rack up huge debts inadvertently due to Telstra woes

Minister Kate Worden has taken a potshot at Telstra over a 20-day outage of a township’s 3G service that caused Power and Water customers using prepaid meters, which run on 3G, to rack up huge bills.

Aerial view of Maningrida. Picture: Natasha Emeck

Essential Services Minister Kate Worden has taken a potshot at Telstra over a 20-day outage of a township’s 3G service that caused Power and Water customers using prepaid meters, which run on 3G, to inadvertently rack up huge bills.

Earlier this week, the NT News reported that some residents of Maningrida, in the West Arnhem, inadvertently became indebted, some by hundreds of dollars, as their meters did not switch off when they reached their debt ceiling.

Mayor Matthew Ryan said that some customers had signed up to disadvantageous payment plans on debts he did not believe they should be liable for, as they were not properly informed by Power and Water of the implications of the 3G outage on their meters.

While Power and Water posted a statement to its website advising Maningrida customers to keep putting credit on their meters – even though the credit would not show – and claimed its “Maningrida based co-ordinator worked with key local stakeholders” to get the message out, Mr Ryan, a Maningrida resident, said communication on the ground was lacking.

Prepaid Power and Water meter showing a debt owed in Maningrida. Picture: Facebook

Asked on Wednesday about whether Maningrida residents were left in the dark, Ms Worden laid blame for lack of communication squarely at Telstra’s feet.

“We have been talking to Telstra directly around [the 3G outage] and the lack of communication that went out to the community,” she said.

“We need to make sure that when there are those outages that Telstra actually communicates that to their customers and we need to make sure that they also tell us.

“My understanding is that the communication even to us as a government was delayed.”

Essential Services Minister Kate Worden. Photo by PEMA TAMANG PAKHRIN

The suggestion that the telecom did not keep the government abreast during the outage was firmly denied by Telstra’s regional general manager for the NT, Nic Danks.

“Each day Telstra provides an update to the NT Government, key agencies and local councils on current outages in regional locations,” he said.

“We also regularly communicated with Power and Water about the 3G issue in Maningrida.

“Unplanned impacts to telecommunications infrastructure also impacts Telstra’s ability to communicate to our customers.

“As a result, we rely on these parties to help provide updates to the community about the issue, especially if it directly impacts their services.”

It’s understood Telstra has arranged a meeting with Ms Worden on Thursday afternoon to clear the air and discuss the Maningrida 3G outage, as well as wider service provision across the NT.

Telstra woes lead to huge power bills for remote residents

February 20, 5am: A Northern Territory mayor is demanding Power and Water forgive debts and reimburse customers after an issue with a township’s Telstra 3G coverage meant users were not alerted when they hit their prepaid debt ceiling on meters.

West Arnhem Mayor Matthew Ryan said the issue, which affected the Aboriginal township of Maningrida, had led to some vulnerable customers racking up debts in the hundreds, even thousands, of dollars.

He said that some Maningrida locals had already signed up to disadvantageous payment plans, which he believes they should not be liable for.

“Our residents have been left with debts inherited from Power Water caused by this Telstra issue in many communities,” he said.

“This should not happen.

“These companies need to be accountable, take responsibility and deliver better services for people in remote communities.

“Clear the debt or compensate them.”

According to a Telstra spokesman, Maningrida lost 3G and 4G connectivity during a power outage on January 23.

While 4G was restored the following day, repairs to 3G – which is what Power and Water’s prepaid meters run on – “proved to be challenging,” with visits from technicians on January 24, 25 and February 7 unable to resolve the issue, the spokesman said.

Telstra’s 3G coverage was restored to Maningrida on February 12.

West Arnhem Regional Council mayor Matthew Ryan. Picture: Supplied

A Power and Water spokesman said that the 3G outage meant the meters in Maningrida continued supplying electricity even after credit had run out.

“Power and Water’s Maningrida based co-ordinator worked with key local stakeholders and customers to advise that regular credit should continue to be added to power meters during the outage, to avoid debt when telecommunications were restored,” he said.

“Power and Water contacted Telstra several times during the outage to progress updates.”

A statement was also posted to Power and Water’s website, advising customers that it was “critical that customers continue to add regular credit to their prepaid power meter to avoid incurring a debt”.

“It is important to note that any payments made during this current outage will not show on the meter balance and will only be visible once the 3G service is restored,” the statement read.

Despite this, Mr Ryan, a Maningrida resident, said the implications of the outage, and its affect on Power and Water customers, was not understood by much of his community.

“There was no communication proper,” he said.

An email from Power and Water to Maningrida customers after Telstra's 3G outage was resolved. Picture: Facebook

“On the ground, when we have really, really bad reception, how can you inform the community?

“And they wouldn’t even understand, our literacy is so low, you need interpreters.”

Mr Ryan said the debts and proposed payment plans perpetuated disadvantage in Maningrida.

“If this was an urban community like Darwin, they would have fixed the problem straight away,” he said.

“They would have negotiated any outcome to satisfy the customer

“Because we live in a remote community, we get forgotten about.

“We are far out disadvantaged.”

The Power and Water spokesman declined to reveal how much debt was accrued over the three-week outage over and above customers’ prepaid ceiling.

Customers experiencing financial hardship could contact Power and Water to organise a payment plan, he said.

Reliance on the 3G network for Power and Water’s prepaid meters is due to be phased out by July.

Originally published as Power and Water: Maningrida customers rack up huge debts inadvertently due to Telstra woes