Travelling around the state of Western Australia can take you to some remote areas. Here are some important contact numbers to keep in mind.
Emergency contact numbers:
000 is Australia's primary Emergency Call Service number and should be used to request emergency assistance from all telephones (landline, mobile phones and payphones) in the first instance.
112 is the international standard emergency number which can only be dialled on a digital mobile phone
106 is the text-based Emergency Call Service number for people who are deaf, or who have a hearing or speech impairment. This service operates using a teletypewriter (TTY) but does not accept voice calls or SMS messages.
Royal Flying Doctors Service: 1800 625 800
Automobile Association of Australia: 13 11 11
Note: 112 and 106 are secondary emergency service numbers because they are for use only in connection with particular technologies.
For a comprehensive list of hospitals in Western Australia visit the Department of Health.
Mobile phone coverage
It is important for travellers to check mobile phone coverage as some areas within Australia are only accessible using satellite phones.
Given the geographic factors, and the relatively sparse populations in many regional areas, there will always be large areas of Australia that do not receive terrestrial-based mobile phone coverage, in fact 80% of the country does not have access to mobile phone coverage.
In areas that are sparsely populated or have little passing traffic, the only commercially viable option for mobile phone services is via satellite. Satellite mobile phone services cover the entire Australian landmass and population and are available from a number of providers.
Even where terrestrial mobile phone services are available, there may be areas where it is not possible to obtain a signal. There are a number of factors that can interfere with mobile reception and therefore affect a user's ability to obtain or maintain a mobile phone signal at any given time or in any particular place. These factors include mountainous or hilly terrain, road cuttings, buildings and tunnels.
In order to maximise mobile phone coverage when travelling it is important to plan ahead, check what coverage will be available in particular areas, and ensure that you have the right equipment.
To determine what coverage is available, check the coverage maps provided online by the mobile phone carriers.
In order to identify the best mobile phone technology, investigate what coverage is available in the areas of interest, then select the most appropriate technology (i.e. GSM, 3G or satellite) to meet your needs.
For more information visit the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy
Non-emergency contact numbers:
Police: 131 444
Ambulance: 9334 1234 (non-emergency transport)
Fire and State Emergency Services of WA: 1800 199 084 (general enquiries)
Department of Immigration and Citizenship: 13 18 81