Life Support Equipment Customer Procedure

Life Support Equipment Customers

If you or someone at your home uses life support equipment, on any of the following equipment you are an eligible life support customer:

• an oxygen concentrator
• an intermittent peritoneal dialysis machine
• a kidney dialysis machine
• a chronic positive airways pressure respirator
• Crigler-Najjar syndrome phototherapy equipment
• a ventilator for life support or
• any other equipment that a registered medical practitioner certifies as required for life support.

If this applies to you, or a member of your household, please make sure you register your details with us or Gove Operations.

How to register as a Life Support Equipment Customer

Step 1 – Register your details with us by calling the Gove Operations’ Emergencies and Faults contact number 1800 931 377 (Calls to 1800 931 377 are free from fixed lines, and most mobile carriers, within Australia).  You will be temporarily registered on the Gove Operations’ Life Support Equipment Customer Register within 1 business day of receiving your notification that a person residing or intending to reside at the customer's premises requires life support equipment.

Step 2 – A Life Support Equipment Information Pack, including as Medical Confirmation Form, will be posted or physically delivered to you within 5 business days of your notification. Please complete the Medical Confirmation Form with your medical practitioner as instructed.  Please note a registered medical practitioner must complete parts of this form.

Step 3 – Send your completed Medical Confirmation Form:

By email to either:

                Gove Operations – LSECustomerGove@riotinto.com   

                Nhulunbuy Corporation – office@ncl.net

Or by post to:     ATTN: Electrical Network Officer
Rio Tinto Gove  
PO Box 21
Nhulunbuy  NT  0881    

Or otherwise provide your form to your retailer who will share this information with Gove Operations.                     

Supply Interruptions

There are times when Gove Operations or its contractors may need to interrupt the power supply for their crews to safely carry out essential upgrades or planned maintenance on the networks.

Registered life support customers will be notified at least four business days prior to any planned service interruptions to give you time to make alternative arrangements for your life support needs. Unfortunately, unplanned service interruptions can occur at any time due to bad weather, wildlife or unexpected events beyond the control of the network provider.

Being a registered life support customer does not mean you are guaranteed an uninterrupted power supply.

It is important that you have a back-up emergency management plan prepared and ready to action should the need arise. In the event of an emergency, you may contact Gove Operations on 1800 931 377.

Emergency Management Plan

Talk to your doctor, carer, family and friends, and have an emergency management plan in place as backup to assist you if your services are suddenly interrupted.

Important contact details

Keep your important contact details close to hand in the case you may need to call:

• Gove Operations – Emergencies and Faults – 1800 931 377
• Nhulunbuy Corporation – (08) 8939 2200
• Emergency Services – 000
• Your doctor
• Your hospital
• Your emergency contacts

Keeping your details up to date

If your premises is registered as having someone who requires life support equipment, it's essential that you keep us and Gove Operations informed of any changes at your premises, including:

• if the account holder is changing and life support status is still required for a resident at the address;
• if you are changing address and still require life support;
• if your contact details change; or
• if you no longer wish to be registered as a life support customer.

As agent for Gove  Operations, we will share all relevant life support information provided with Gove Operations.

Deregistration

Deregistration can only occur if:

• you advise us, your retailer or Gove Operations that you no longer need to be registered as a life support due to a change in your circumstances; or
• you haven’t returned your completed Medical Confirmation Form within 50 business days from when it is issued.