Iran war delays upgrades to Queensland’s Triple Zero phone system

The upgrade of Queensland's Triple Zero (000) emergency phone system has been pushed back to March 2027, with geopolitical events contributing to the delay. The Queensland Ambulance Service (QAS), leading the "Triple Zero (000) Telephony Refresh" project launched in March 2024, cited "third-party service provider delays" for the extension.

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Currently scheduled for completion by the end of March 2027.

The ABC understands that components for the upgrade faced delays due to the conflict in Iran and the subsequent closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Originally slated for completion in December, the high-priority upgrades are now scheduled to be finished by the end of March 2027. Despite the project's extension, a QAS spokesperson assured that "current Triple Zero operations will not be impacted."

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Current Triple Zero operations will not be impacted by the project's extension.

The $12.7 million project aims to modernize the technology infrastructure supporting over one million emergency calls received annually across the state. The upgrades are intended to ensure emergency calls are answered on a more reliable and contemporary platform, offering enhanced support to medical dispatchers and improving the overall call delivery system.

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The project is reporting amber due to finance as the cost estimates of proposed solutions are higher-than-anticipated.

In the last financial year, QAS experienced significant demand, receiving a Triple Zero call every 24 seconds in the first three months of 2026. Almost 95 percent of these calls were answered within 10 seconds in 2025/26. The project's status was previously marked as "amber" on Queensland's Digital Projects Dashboard due to higher-than-anticipated cost estimates, but it returned to "green" in November.

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The project team is working with governance to confirm system scope and functionality requirements.