Broadcast sites weather Cyclone Ului

26 May 2010

Comprehensive safeguarding measures and fast-acting First-In Maintainers help minimise the impact of Cyclone Ului on North Queensland’s broadcast infrastructure.

When Cyclone Ului hit the North Queensland coast in March this year, the region's broadcast network did not escape unscathed. As the cyclone battered antenna arrays from Townsville down to Mackay, transmission services at some sites were impacted.

Damage to transmission equipment and fixed input line feeds, left some transmission sites in the area offline. Also, with mains power at many of the region's transmission sites cut-off, back-up power generators automatically switched into gear. However, subsequent storm-related generator damage and failure resulted in further loss of broadcast services.

As a result, the Crisis Management Team swung into action, deploying First-In Maintainers (FIM) and Field Services Teams to repair broadcast infrastructure and restore transmissions.

Achieving access

The trail of destruction left by Cyclone Ului made accessing some of the crippled transmission sites impossible. The Mt Blackwood site in Mackay was just one where fallen trees and debris blocked roads and dedicated site-access trails.

Using heavy machinery and working alongside other local contractors, the FIM cleared a single-vehicle path to the Mt Blackwood transmission site, providing same-day site access for technicians to carry out repairs.

Similar recovery and repair scenarios played-out at other affected transmission sites in the region. Consultation with technical specialists, local authorities, broadcasters and emergency services ensured site access was fast-tracked and services restored as soon as possible.

Playing it safe

While monitoring the cyclone's projected path via the Bureau of Meteorology, a series of safeguarding measures was executed at the transmission sites prior to the cyclone touching down in the area. This strategy aims to minimise damage and provide a greater chance of keeping services online following such wild weather.

Site maintenance and equipment inspections were carried out at all sites in the cyclone's predicted path. Generators were fuelled-up and tested, and site-access roads cleared and maintained. A team of riggers also checked and adjusted cable fixings and tower mounts in anticipation of the approaching high winds. These preventative safety measures, combined with the execution of well-drilled emergency response plans, ensured the impact of Cyclone Ului was minimised despite the adversity.

Moving forward, in keeping with the company's commitment to continuous improvement, Broadcast Australia is evaluating carrying out further enhancements to its emergency power plant (EPP) infrastructure to optimise resilience and safeguard transmissions during weather extremes like Cylone Ului. 

Picture caption:  Cleaning up after Cyclone Ului

← Back to main 'Amplify' newsletter page