Backup system scrapped despite system failures, costing millions

Victorian taxpayers have been left exposed after a critical backup system for the troubled Triple Zero emergency call service was quietly scrapped, despite the technology's recent failures that left callers unable to reach help. The plan, which could have been activated during this week's devastating outage, was abandoned at a cost of millions of dollars.

"It feels like they've been playing Jenga with public safety," one insider told The Age, comparing the unstable emergency communications network to the precarious block-stacking game. "We've known this system was fragile for years, yet they dismantled the safety net right when we needed it most."

The scrapped backup system comes as a much-vaunted replacement faces significant delays, now pushed back by at least six months. Emergency workers have raised concerns about the vulnerability of the existing infrastructure, which handles life-or-death calls across Victoria.

Taxpayers' money has already been spent on developing the abandoned backup system, with no clear explanation for why it was shelved just as the original system showed its weaknesses during this week's technology outage. The timing has raised questions about the management of critical infrastructure.

The Triple Zero system, which routes emergency calls to police, fire, and ambulance services, has faced persistent reliability issues. Experts say the delays in implementing a replacement leave communities at continued risk during emergencies when seconds count.

Read the full investigation on The Age.