The Mt Bimmil tower is dependent on mains power, unlike its cousins up the road at Bega and Moruya, which have their own backup, contingency power.

Towers at Cooma, Bombala, Jindabyne and Thredbo also lack back-up power.

With the privatisation of the transmission network in 1999, the towers are now owned by Broadcast Australia, who determines which sites warrant the backup system. It is understood that the provision of back-up power is linked to the surrounding population numbers.

If a fire were to destroy the Mt Bimmil tower, or even cut the power, ABC South East is uncertain if the signal from Bega would be picked up by battery operated radios here.

The ABC website says adequate coverage is available as far south as Nadgee and inland to Jindabyne but in an email to concerned resident Rod Bryer this week, ABC NSW said “...it’s hoped the larger transmitter will, nonetheless provide some coverage.”

Rod Bryer realised we had no backup power last week while listening to ABC on his radio at Kiah, where the transmission “quite often goes off the air”.

“One morning they were talking about what they would do in a catastrophe, and they update every 30 minutes,” Mr Bryer said.

“The first thing that goes is power; power lines burn and drop down.

“I wondered what sort of generator backup they had to stay on the air and when I found out how poor it was I got concerned,” he said.

Mr Bryer contacted ABC NSW and Broadcast Australia who he said were very helpful but reliant on government funding to upgrade transmission systems.

James O’Brien, local content manager at ABC NSW, said the ABC has re-established itself this year as the provider of updates as major events infold.

“Already this year, the team from ABC South East have provided ‘rolling coverage’ of a number of fires in the area, including the Jingera Rock fire at Wyndham and at Tilba and Guerilla Bay, all within the coverage of ABC South East.”

“That said, the ABC also hopes the commercial sector will also be a source of good accurate information during times of emergency.”