The volunteer wildlife rescue organisation FAWNA says it has been crippled by a Telstra decision to downgrade its emergency phone system.

FAWNA president Meredith Ryan says Telstra's decision has stopped the group's ability to remotely divert its wildlife rescue line to its volunteer rescue phone operators for their daily shifts.

"The reason given by Telstra for the change to the system successfully operating for the last decade is that the remote diversion facility was deactivated as not compatible with NBN," she said.  

Mrs Ryan said temporary arrangements were in place to ensure all phone calls were answered by a volunteer.

However, she is more concerned about a lack of communication with the telecommunication giant over the matter.

"I am having no joy trying to talk to someone in Telstra with the technology skills to understand our situation," she said.

"We are just a minnow; what chance have you got.

"This decision by Telstra has removed our ability to remotely divert the emergency telephone number from volunteer to volunteer.

"Despite that, our volunteers are still encouraging people to ring in and report rescues."

Mrs Ryan said the volunteer service was totally reliant on an efficient phone service.

In the last financial year the service received and made some 220 phone calls through the emergency number.

"And September is our peak time too," she added.

FAWNA has dreaded the need to transport to a new and affordable rescue telephone system when the relevant exchange transports to the NBN were expected in June 2019. But the volunteer group has been hit nine months earlier than expected.

Mrs Ryan said the welfare of injured, orphaned and in-need wildlife can no longer be supported immediately by the only all wildlife species volunteer rescue group on the Macquarie coast from Bulahdelah to Grassy Head.

“No longer having the communications technology to be able to quickly and efficiently service the needs of the district’s wildlife in need is the worst part.

“I always thought that no one would be worse off with the NBN. This is a bitter pill for our FAWNA volunteers to swallow."

The FAWNA president has contacted federal member for Lyne David Gillespie's office over the matter.

Meanwhile FAWNA will host its next induction training course at Johns River on October 6. Details on the course are available on the FAWNA website.

"We are always on the look out for more volunteers," Mrs Ryan said.

The Port Macquarie News contacted Telstra and Telstra Country Wide for comment.