A team of technicians from New Zealand is being sent to help restore telecommunication services to flood-affected areas of Australia.
Floods have swept through south-east Queensland since mid-December, and at least 16 people lost their lives this week when flash flooding swept through the Lockyer Valley ara west of Brisbane.
The Telecom technicians will repair cable faults affecting homes and businesses in Queensland and New South Wales
A spokesperson for Telecom says people in this country who make calls to affected areas in Australia should keep them brief, so as not to overload the already strained networks.
Telecom has set up a service where people can donate to the Australian Floods Fund by text message.
New Zealanders who are volunteering in the flooded areas and using their Telecom phones are being given credits towards the cost of calls.
