Telstra named nominated carrier for Stanwell fibre links at Tarong

The Australian Communications and Media Authority has granted Nominated Carrier Declaration 211, making Telstra Limited the nominated carrier for two fibre optic links owned by Stanwell Corporation Limited. The declaration was signed by Dominic Byrne, delegate of the Australian Communications and Media Authority, on 21 October 2026 and registered in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette (Government Notices) on 22 October 2026 under official reference C2026G00694.

The statutory basis

The instrument is made under subsection 81(1) of the Telecommunications Act 1997. Before granting it, the delegate stated he was satisfied of two matters:

• that, if the declaration were made, Telstra Limited (ACN 086 174 781), the applicant, would be in a position to comply with all of the obligations imposed on it in its capacity as nominated carrier in relation to the network units described in the notice;
• that making the declaration would not impede the efficient administration of the Telecommunications Act 1997, or of the Telecommunications (Consumer Protection and Service Standards) Act 1999 and the regulations under that Act.

The declaration itself states that Telstra Limited, holder of carrier licence number 582, is the nominated carrier in relation to the single line links consisting of fibre optic cables labelled and identified as “Telstra 1” and “Telstra 2”.

The two links covered

The network units subject to the declaration are owned by Stanwell Corporation Limited (ABN 37 078 848 674) and connect two points in Queensland:

• the Tarong Power Station communications room, at location -26.7833972, 151.9158417;
• the Telstra mobile network equipment (Base Station) located at Meandu Mine, at location -26.802654, 151.909768.

Both links are described in the notice as single line links consisting of fibre optic cables, and both carry the Telstra label in their identification, although ownership of the infrastructure rests with Stanwell Corporation Limited.

Who carries the obligations

The effect of the instrument is to place the regulatory obligations attached to those network units on Telstra Limited rather than on the owner of the cables. The notice identifies the company by two separate official markers: its Australian Company Number, ACN 086 174 781, and its carrier licence number, 582. Stanwell Corporation Limited is identified by its Australian Business Number, ABN 37 078 848 674, in its capacity as owner of the two links.

The declaration is signed by Dominic Byrne as delegate of the Australian Communications and Media Authority, and is dated 21 October 2026, one day before its registration in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette.

Why it matters

The declaration settles which company answers for the regulatory duties attached to a stretch of fibre linking an electricity generating site to mobile network infrastructure serving a mine site — infrastructure that sits inside the energy sector but is regulated as telecommunications. By confirming that Telstra Limited is in a position to meet the obligations of a nominated carrier, and that the arrangement does not impede the administration of the two governing Acts, the Australian Communications and Media Authority removes ambiguity over responsibility for those links. Operators and users of the connected facilities at Tarong Power Station and Meandu Mine now have a single, publicly recorded carrier against which the obligations under the Telecommunications Act 1997 run.

Source: Commonwealth of Australia Gazette, Government Notices, 22 October 2026, p. 1 (official reference: C2026G00694).