Anika Wells’ announcement of a review into triple zero regulations is a staggering admission of failure, and a deeply inadequate response to a crisis the Albanese government has repeatedly mishandled.
The review is two years too late, contains no immediate solutions and will not report until March 2027, leaving Australians waiting years for answers while relying on an emergency call system the government now admits has “gaps” and is not fit for purpose.
On 8 February 2024, the Bean Review recommended the government “should undertake a comprehensive review of the legislative and regulatory framework for Triple Zero (000) to ensure it is fit for purpose, including clarifying roles and responsibilities across government and industry, and ensuring the framework supports a resilient, modern emergency call service.”
Given the tragic consequences which may arise when a triple zero call fails to connect, why didn’t the government act immediately to fix our nation’s emergency call service which is critical to the safety of every Australian?
It is beyond belief that Anika Wells sat on her hands for so long, even after a number of people died as a result of the Optus triple zero outage and the TPG device failure last September.
At a time when Australians expect decisive action to protect access to emergency services, Anika Wells has done too little too late, once again demonstrating she is not up to the job.
Last October, I initiated a Senate inquiry into the Optus triple zero outage which continues to uncover failings by the government, as well as Optus, TPG and the regulator, the Australian Communication and Media Authority.
Labor’s botched shutdown of the 3G mobile network, the proliferation of incompatible handsets and software, and technologies such as handset to satellite messaging without triple zero access have introduced new risks into the triple zero ecosystem which have not been adequately addressed.
Even when improved triple zero regulations were announced in April 2025 such as mandatory real-time outage reporting and notification to emergency services, the minister dragged her feet, delaying implementation for six months.
The minister has now admitted that outages and device issues have exposed “gaps in the laws and regulations” underpinning triple zero. That is an extraordinary concession.
For a system on which Australians rely in life-and-death moments, this is not just inadequate, it is indefensible.
Australians deserve a triple zero system which is resilient, modern, and failsafe – not one subject to endless reviews and delayed action.
The government had the warnings, the evidence, the opportunity to act, and it failed. When it comes to triple zero, delays don’t just carry risk. They cost lives.