Suggestions Telstra is planning to cut off services to Australia's emergency wildlife services makes for good newspaper headlines, but as is sometimes the case, the media doesn't like facts getting in the way of a good story.

Some reports have neglected the facts and instead chosen to inflame and sensationalise a story about Telstra's exit from its 0500 service.

Reports have suggested that the 0500 Telstra One Number service operates in a similar way to ‘000’ emergency calls. This is totally incorrect. The 0500 service is a commercial product used by many businesses. It is not a free service provided by Telstra.

It is also wrong to assert that Telstra has not provided information about the changes.

Telstra first wrote to customers in February 2007 notifying them of the need to upgrade.

By providing more than a year’s notice, Telstra attempted to ensure customers could plan for a smooth transition to a new telephone number.

Instead, some have chosen to leave it to the last minute to organise their upgrade and are now blaming Telstra for their inaction and lobbying politicians to try to stop it happening.

Demand for the outdated 0500 service has declined markedly, with most wildlife rescue volunteers choosing to use mobile phones, so they can respond quickly to calls wherever they are.

Telstra remains committed to working closely with Wildlife groups to assist them with their transition to a new telephone number and service and to make people aware of the change in the regions they serve.

Telstra understands and respects the critical role wildlife organisations play in protecting our unique indigenous species.

Telstra is a proud supporter of the WWF (www.wwf.org.au) Building Nature's Safety Net program that is establishing wildlife refuges for endangered animals in Australia.