Guide, Australia
Emergency radio in Australia: what to buy and how to tune in
An emergency radio is a battery-powered radio that you have already set to your local ABC station. The ABC's own advice is to set that station on your battery-powered radio, in your car, and in the ABC listen app, before you need it.
Last reviewed: 1 November 2026. We sell packs and gear for this, and we say so up front. Here is how Holdline Provisions chooses: we describe a radio by what the supplier documents, and we do not promise battery life or crank time we have not seen in writing.
Why a battery radio is on every official outage kit list
A radio that runs on batteries does not need the grid, and it does not need the internet.
The pages we read all ask for one. Get Ready's emergency kit list includes a "Battery-operated radio" and a "Torch & spare batteries". The NSW Rural Fire Service survival kit lists a portable battery-operated radio, a waterproof torch and spare batteries. AusNet's outage kit asks for "Battery powered torches and radios", and says to keep extra batteries in the sizes you need. Ausgrid's advice during an outage is to "Listen for local updates on a battery-operated or car radio."
None of those pages mention hand-crank or solar models. They ask for batteries. A crank or solar radio is a way to keep listening after the spare batteries run out, and that reasoning is ours, not an official statement.
In an opinion piece republished by the University of Wollongong, one Brisbane prepper recalled, after a 2009 flood: "We lost power for three days." That is the kind of stretch a radio is for.
Which station to tune to
Your local ABC station. The ABC Emergency page says: "Tune in to the local ABC station for emergency warnings." It also says to set the local station in your car, on ABC listen and on your battery-powered radio.
The ABC has a page on how to do it, and the steps are simple:
- Visit reception.abc.net.au to find your local radio frequency.
- Write it down and stick it to the battery-powered radio in your emergency survival kit. The ABC's example is "ABC Bendigo 91.1 FM".
- Preset the frequency in your car.
- Download ABC listen on your phone, and add your local station as a favourite.
The ABC also publishes a printable pocket guide to ABC radio frequencies around the country, linked from its Emergency page. We do not print frequencies here. They are the ABC's to keep current, and yours depends on where you live.
What to look for in an emergency radio
AM and FM reception
The ABC's example frequency is an FM one. None of the official pages we read say which band to buy, and none mention DAB+. So do this: look up your local ABC frequency first, then check the radio's product page lists a band that covers it.
Power: batteries, crank, solar, USB
Check what the supplier documents. Batteries are what the official lists ask for, so make sure the radio takes a common size and that you hold spares. If a radio also offers a crank, a solar panel or a USB charge-in, the product page should say what that does. We will not tell you how many minutes of cranking you get, because we have not tested it and a number from a spec sheet is the supplier's to state.
Torch and phone charging as extras
Some radios include a torch or a phone charging port. AusNet's outage kit asks for fully charged power banks with the correct cables, so a power bank stays on your list either way. See our guide to the best power bank for blackouts and the wider power outage kit.
What does not apply here
Many reviews are built around NOAA weather radio alerts. NOAA Weather Radio is a nationwide network run by the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, so it is a US system. It does not apply in Australia.
Warnings beyond the radio
A radio tells you what is happening. The Australian Warning System tells you how serious it is. It has three levels:
- Advice (yellow): "An incident has started. There is no immediate danger."
- Watch and Act (orange): "There is a heightened level of threat."
- Emergency Warning (red): "You may be in danger and need to take action immediately."
The system's page tells you to check your state or territory emergency service website for current warnings. As one example, the NSW Rural Fire Service lists its Fires Near Me website, the Hazards Near Me NSW app and the Fires Near Me Australia app. It also says Emergency Alert telephone warnings are sent through the phone network in many emergency situations. Its page does not mention radio, so use both: the radio for when the network is down, and the apps and alerts for when it is up.
Where to keep it and how to test it
Keep the radio in the kit, with its spare batteries and the frequency note. The NSW RFS says to store its kit in a waterproof container, in a spot that is easy to reach and that everyone in the household knows about. Test it on a date you will remember. That is our suggestion, not an official rule. Switch it on, find your station, check the batteries, and put the note back.
FAQ
Do I need DAB+? None of the official pages we read mention it. They ask for a battery-operated radio and a way to find your local ABC frequency. Check that the radio covers the band your local station uses.
Will it charge my phone? Some do. Read what the supplier documents, and keep a power bank in the kit regardless.
How long do batteries last in storage? We have not found an official figure, so we do not give one. Check the battery maker's label, and replace spares when you test the kit.
Next step: Add a radio to your blackout kit, or browse emergency radios on their own. The full picture sits in our power outage guide.
Sources and last checked
Opened and read on 1 November 2026.
- ABC Emergency, Australian Broadcasting Corporation. No date shown on the page.
- How to listen to ABC Radio in an emergency, Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Posted 20 October 2022, updated 23 October 2026.
- Get Ready: bushfires, Get Ready Queensland (Queensland Government). No date shown on the page.
- Emergency survival kit, NSW Rural Fire Service. No date shown on the page.
- Your outage kit, AusNet. No date shown on the page.
- What to expect during an unplanned outage, Ausgrid. No date shown on the page.
- Australian Warning System, AFAC. No date shown on the page.
- Stay up to date, NSW Rural Fire Service. No date shown on the page.
- NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards, National Weather Service (United States). No date shown on the page.
- What is prepping, and how does it work in Australia?, Tom Doig and Jordan McKenzie, University of Wollongong, 5 September 2025.
