General News
5 August, 2026
Testing siren bypasses parts of Calder Highway
RESIDENTS in Woosang are raising concerns about the reliability of the AusAlert system after failing to receive Monday’s test emergency warning.
RESIDENTS in Woosang are raising concerns about the reliability of the AusAlert system after failing to receive Monday’s test emergency warning.
Barb and Jeff Round said they did not receive the alert despite having mobile phone coverage.
Tradesmen installing a new heater at their property also missed the notification.
Mrs Round said: “We’ve got mobile phone coverage and everything like that. We never have trouble with it, so it was unusual that none of us received the alert.”
The couple said they had recently heard discussion on talkback radio about similar issues during major bushfires, where telecommunications networks can become overloaded or fail altogether. “If the phones go down during a natural disaster, what’s going to happen then?” Mrs Round questioned.
While the Rounds acknowledge emergency alerts are an important tool, they hope the incident encourages further investigation into why some residents can be missed, despite having functioning mobile services.
The Rounds live less than 1km off the Calder Highway.
Monday’s test of the new national alert system was to have sounded a 10-second siren on mobile phones. However, there were reports in Loddon communities of the siren only lasting two or three seconds.
The Federal Government said the test alert was 94 per cent successful.
Read More: Loddon Shire