The Nationals Member for Gippsland South, Danny O’Brien has called on the Carroll Labor Government to urgently step in and demand answers from electricity providers over ongoing power outages that are disrupting homes, businesses and lives across Gippsland.
Speaking in Parliament, Mr O’Brien said residents in communities including Yarram, Won Wron, Devon North, McLoughlins Beach and Woodside had endured repeated outages for far too long, with some local businesses now suffering as a result.
“People in these communities feel like they are being treated as second-class citizens and they are rightly asking why this level of unreliable service should be accepted in regional Gippsland when it simply would not be tolerated in metropolitan areas,” Mr O’Brien said.
“Power is an essential service. Families rely on it, businesses rely on it and some even rely on it for critical medical equipment.
“When people are paying their bills, they have a right to expect a reliable service in return.”
Mr O’Brien said he had heard from frustrated constituents who had been keeping detailed records of outages, including one resident whose medical equipment had recorded dozens of interruptions in a single month.
He said some local businesses had also been forced into an impossible position because of unreliable electricity supply.
“I have heard from accommodation providers who cannot confidently take bookings because they do not know whether their customers will arrive to find the power is out,” Mr O’Brien said.
“That is not acceptable for a regional community that relies on small businesses and tourism.”
Mr O’Brien said he had been working with AusNet, which had been responsive to his enquiries and had undertaken some works on feeder lines servicing the Yarram district, but the issue had not been resolved.
“The community has been told weather and vegetation are contributing factors, but these powerlines have been there for decades. The expectation must be that the network is properly maintained and resilient enough to provide a reliable service.
“This is not about criticising the local crews who do the work on the ground, it is about ensuring the system is delivering what customers are paying for.”
Mr O’Brien said the Carroll Labor Government had a responsibility to hold electricity providers to account and demand action.
“I am calling on the Minister for Energy and Resources to immediately engage with AusNet, demand answers and ensure there is a plan to stop these ongoing outages.
“Gippslanders deserve the same reliable electricity service as people living in Melbourne and should not have to accept constant interruptions as part of living in a regional community.”