Telephone numbers in Australia are administered by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) under delegation by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts. The Telecommunications Act 1997 in subsection 455(1) defines a legislative instrument. This instrument is the Telecommunications Numbering Plan 2025, which defines the format, numerical allocation and use of number ranges.

Overview For landline telephony, Australia is geographically divided into only four areas, three of which comprise more than one state or territory. All local telephone numbers within the four areas have eight digits, consisting (mainly) of a four-digit exchange code and a four-digit local line number. The national significant number consists of a single-digit area code followed by the local eight-digit number, a total of nine digits. When calling a landline telephone in Australia in an area other than that of the caller, the telephone number is preceded by the Australian trunk prefix 0 (termed Trunk Access Prefix - in Australia) and the area code: 0x xxxx xxxx. In this context, the trunk code is typically incorporated into the area code domestically.

00 – International and Emergency access (see below for details) 01 – Alternative phone services 014 – Satellite phones 0151 – Public safety service 0163 – Pager numbers (defunct service; no longer available) 0198 – Data numbers (e.g. 0198 308 888 is the dial-up PoP number for Telstra) 02 – Geographic: Central East region (NSW, ACT, small parts of VIC) 03 – Geographic: South-east region (VIC, TAS, small parts of NSW) 04 – Digital Mobile services (4G, 5G and GSM) 0550 – Location Independent Communication Services 07 – Geographic: North-east region (QLD) 08 – Geographic: Central and West region (SA, NT, WA, small part of NSW) 09 – Internet of things service 1 – Non-geographic numbers (mostly for domestic use; see below for details)

The current numbering plan would appear to be sufficient to cope with potential increase in demand for services for quite some time to come. Area code 06 is unused. In addition, each other area code has large number ranges unallocated.

When dialling from outside Australia, after dialling the appropriate international access code, the country code for Australia is 61, which is followed by the nine-digit national significant number. This is without any National "Trunk Access Code", as is normal with most countries.

Australian local telephone numbers have eight digits, conventionally written in the form xxxx xxxx. Mobile numbers are written in the form of ten digits. When dialed within Australia, the 0 must be included, and 4, which indicates the service required is a mobile number. Mobile numbers are conventionally written 04xx xxx xxx. If a landline or mobile number is written where it may be viewed by an international audience (e.g. in an email signature or on a website) then the number is often written as +61 x xxxx xxxx or +61 4xx xxx xxx respectively.

The Australian national trunk access code, 0, is not used for calls originated from locations outside Australia. Some numbers beginning with a 1 instead of a 0 do not require the first digit to be dropped for international calls; +13 and +1300 local rate numbers may be dialled directly after the required international access code and the country code.

Fixed-line telephone numbers Within Australia, dialing a number in another area requires dialing the trunk code 0, followed by the area code, and then the local number.

In major centres, the first four digits specify the CCA (Call Collection Area, also known as an exchange), and the remaining digits specify a number at that exchange, up to 10,000 of which may be connected. Smaller exchanges in more remote areas may have fewer than a hundred connected numbers.

To access numbers in the same area, it is necessary to dial only the eight digits concerned. To access a number in another area it is first necessary to dial the trunk code of 0, followed by the area code (2, 3, 7 or 8) and then the specific local number.

Area code boundaries do not follow state/territory boundaries precisely. Notable are the part of New South Wales around Broken Hill (a large part of the state's area but less than 1% of its population), which uses 08) 80xx numbers, and Wodonga, which is in Victoria but is within the New South Wales area code (02). Similarly, New South Wales border towns including Deniliquin and Buronga are within the Southeast (Victorian) area code (03), and Tweed Heads within the Northeast (Queensland) area code (07). Physical exchanges can be allocated one or more prefixes and modern technology allows sub-sets of these number ranges to be allocated to switching entities located at a distance from the exchange in which their controlling terminal is located.

Landlines use a dialing plan that makes dialing of the area code optional for calls with the same area code for the caller and the destination.

Mobile phones Within Australia, mobile phone numbers begin with 04 – the Australian national trunk code 0, plus the mobile indicator 4 – followed by eight digits. This is generally written as 04XX XXX XXX within Australia, or as +61 4XX XXX XXX for an international audience. This format is the result of mobile carriers advertising numbers in such a way so as to clearly identify the owning telco prior to mobile number portability, introduced on 25 September 2001. Prior to MNP, mobile operators generally reserved number ranges in blocks of 04 xy z.

The xy-digit codes (sometimes xy z) are allocated per network. Since the introduction of number portability, there is no longer a fixed relationship between the mobile phone number and the network it uses.

In 2015, prefix 05 (other than 0550) was also reserved for digital mobile phones as a part of the Telecommunications Numbering Plan 2015. However, as of 2024 no numbers have been allocated with this prefix.

Within Australia, mobile numbers must always be dialed with all ten digits, regardless of the caller's location.

Because mobile phones (cell phones) possess the capacity to store many long telephone numbers, it is advisable to store all such numbers in the form of "+ (Country Code} (Area Code) (LOCAL Number)".

Therefore, then one could use one's Mobile Phone to dial any Phone Number from any country in the world, without having to know the Trunk Access Codes of that country.

Also, the emergency code of 112 will redirect the call from any cell/mobile phone to the "Emergency Service" of any country from which the call originates. Calling 911 in Australia will not redirect to 000.

Geographic numbers

Geographical areas are identified by the area code and the first few digits of the local number. The codes include the trunk prefix for long-distance calling.

Central-East region (02) 02 30 – Newcastle, Lower Hunter 02 31 – Bathurst, Orange 02 32 – Wollongong 02 33 – Gosford, Central Coast 02 34 – Bourke, Dubbo 02 35 – Port Macquarie, Kempsey, Taree, Lord Howe Island, Muswellbrook 02 36 – Coffs Harbour, Grafton, Lismore, Murwillumbah 02 37 – Armidale, Tamworth, Northern Tablelands 02 38 – Bowral, Crookwell, Goulburn, Marulan 02 39 – Griffith, Wagga Wagga, Riverina 02 40 – Newcastle, Lower Hunter 02 41 – Newcastle, Lower Hunter 02 42 – Wollongong 02 43 – Gosford, Central Coast 02 44 – Batemans Bay, Moruya, Nowra 02 45 – Windsor, Richmond 02 46 – Campbelltown, Camden, Narellan, Picton, Appin and others 02 47 – Penrith, Blue Mountains 02 48 – Bowral, Crookwell, Goulburn, Marulan 02 49 – Newcastle, Lower Hunter 02 50 – Albury, Corryong, Wodonga 02 51 – Canberra, Queanbeyan, Yass 02 52 – Canberra, Queanbeyan, Yass 02 53 – Bathurst, Orange 02 54 – Bega, Merimbula, Tathra, Cooma 02 55 – Port Macquarie, Kempsey, Taree, Lord Howe Island, Muswellbrook 02 56 – Murwillumbah, Grafton, Lismore 02 57 – Armidale, Tamworth, Northern Tablelands 02 58 – Bourke, Dubbo, Far West 02 59 – Griffith, Wagga Wagga, Riverina 02 60 – Albury, Corryong, Wodonga 02 61 – Canberra, Queanbeyan, Yass 02 62 – Canberra, Queanbeyan, Yass 02 63 – Bathurst, Orange, Cowra 02 64 – Bega, Merimbula, Tathra, Cooma 02 65 – Port Macquarie, Kempsey, Taree, Lord Howe Island, Muswellbrook 02 66 – Coffs Harbour, Grafton, Lismore, Murwillumbah 02 67 – Armidale, Glen Innes, Gunnedah, Inverell, Moree, Narrabri, Tamworth 02 68 – Bourke, Dubbo, Cobar 02 69 – Griffith, Wagga Wagga, Riverina 02 7 – Sydney 02 8 – Sydney 02 9 – Sydney

South-east region (03) 03 30 – Mildura, Balranald 03 31 – Traralgon, Bairnsdale 03 32 – Geelong, Colac 03 33 – Ballarat 03 34 – Bendigo 03 40 – Mildura, Balranald 03 41 – Traralgon, Bairnsdale 03 42 – Geelong, Colac 03 43 – Ballarat 03 44 – Bendigo 03 45 – Warrnambool 03 46 – Drouin, Foster, Warragul, Wonthaggi 03 47 – Wangaratta 03 48 – Deniliquin, Numurkah, Shepparton 03 49 – Mornington 03 50 – Mildura, Balranald 03 51 – Traralgon, Bairnsdale 03 52 – Colac, Geelong 03 53 – Ballarat 03 54 – Bendigo 03 55 – Warrnambool, Casterton, Portland 03 56 – Drouin, Foster, Warragul, Wonthaggi 03 57 – Wangaratta 03 58 – Deniliquin, Shepparton 03 59 – Mornington, Pakenham, Rosebud, Warburton, Yarra Ranges 03 60 – Hobart 03 61 – Hobart 03 62 – Hobart 03 63 – Launceston 03 64 – Devonport, Burnie, Queenstown 03 65 – Devonport, Burnie, Queenstown 03 67 – Launceston 03 68 – Launceston 03 7 – Melbourne 03 8 – Melbourne 03 9 – Melbourne

North-east region (07) 07 2 – Brisbane, Bribie Island 07 3 – Brisbane, Bribie Island 07 40 – Cairns, Far North Queensland 07 41 – Bundaberg, Kingaroy, Maryborough 07 42 – Cairns 07 43 – Bundaberg, Kingaroy, Maryborough 07 44 – Townsville, North Queensland 07 45 – Toowoomba, Roma, south-west 07 46 – Toowoomba, Roma, South West 07 47 – Townsville, North Queensland 07 48 – Rockhampton, Mackay 07 49 – Rockhampton, Mackay, Gladstone 07 51 – Sunshine Coast, Esk, Nambour, Gatton, Caboolture 07 52 – Sunshine Coast, Esk, Nambour, Gatton, Caboolture 07 53 – Sunshine Coast, Esk, Nambour, Gatton, Caboolture 07 54 – Sunshine Coast, Esk, Nambour, Gatton, Caboolture 07 55 – Gold Coast, Tweed Heads (NSW), Beaudesert 07 56 – Gold Coast, Beaudesert 07 57 – Gold Coast, Beaudesert 07 58 – Gold Coast, Beaudesert 07 70 – Cairns, Far North Queensland 07 72 – Cairns 07 73 – Bundaberg, Kingaroy, Maryborough 07 75 – Inglewood, Toowoomba 07 76 – Inglewood, Toowoomba 07 77 – Townsville, North Queensland 07 78 – Rockhampton, Mackay, Gladstone 07 79 – Rockhampton, Mackay, Gladstone

Central and West region (08) 08 20 – Adelaide 08 21 – Adelaide 08 25 – Riverland, Murraylands 08 26 – Ceduna 08 27 – South East 08 28 – Mid North 08 29 – Northern Territory (Alice Springs, Darwin) 08 41 – Port Hedland 08 51 – Port Hedland 08 52 – Perth 08 53 – Perth 08 54 – Perth 08 55 – Bullsbrook East, Northam, Pinjarra (Mandurah) 08 57 – Bridgetown, Bunbury 08 58 – Albany 08 60 – Kalgoorlie, Merredin, Goldfields-Esperance 08 61 – Perth 08 62 – Perth 08 63 – Perth 08 64 – Perth 08 65 – Perth 08 66 – Moora 08 67 – Bridgetown, Bunbury 08 68 – Albany 08 69 – Geraldton 08 70 – Adelaide 08 71 – Adelaide 08 72 – Adelaide 08 73 – Adelaide 08 74 – Adelaide 08 75 – Riverland, Murraylands 08 76 – Ceduna 08 77 – South East 08 78 – Mid North 08 79 – Northern Territory (Alice Springs, Darwin) 08 80 – Broken Hill (NSW) 08 81 – Adelaide 08 82 – Adelaide 08 83 – Adelaide 08 84 – Adelaide 08 85 – Riverland, Murraylands, Barossa Valley 08 86 – Ceduna 08 87 – South East 08 88 – Mid North 08 89 – Northern Territory (Alice Springs, Darwin) 08 90 – Kalgoorlie 08 91 – Derby [inc. Cocos/Keeling & Christmas Islands.] 08 92 – Perth 08 93 – Perth 08 94 – Perth 08 95 – Bullsbrook East, Northam, Pinjarra (Mandurah) 08 96 – Moora 08 97 – Bunbury, Busselton, Bridgetown, Collie, Harvey 08 98 – Albany 08 99 – Geraldton

Notes

Non-geographic numbers Mobile phone numbers (04, 05)