Crews working to restore outages

Ergon Energy and Energex crews are working hard to restore power supply to customers following last night’s storms across South East Queensland.

Around 30,000 homes and businesses were impacted overnight but as of this morning there were fewer than 100 Ergon Energy customers and 800 Energex customers waiting to be restored.

Minister for Energy and Water Supply Mark McArdle is urging residents to be patient as work continues on the wide spread interruptions expected to be completed this afternoon.

“A number of quite intense storm cells hit the region yesterday afternoon from around 3.30pm delivering around 25,000 lightning strikes in South East Queensland,” he said.

“The damage was widespread across the south east corner with a helicopter needed to reconnect a fallen line over a waterway at the back of the Sunshine Coast-Brisbane Valley.

“There are currently still more than 800 Energex customers offline with several hundred of these around the Imbil region where there was major damage including a significant number of wires down and some repairs still to be completed.” 

Mr McArdle said Ergon Energy crews were also kept busy in the Wide Bay-Burnett.

“Ergon Energy crews have restored power to more than 15,000 customers between Maryborough and Gympie, in the South Burnett, at Hervey Bay and Gayndah following storms in the region last night,” he said.

“In the Fraser Coast Regional Council area 11,330 lightning strikes were recorded with 4000 in the Gympie council area and 2899 in the South Burnett council area.

“Fewer than 100 customers are still without power this morning with crews expected to have power fully reinstated this afternoon.”

Mr McArdle said residents can help out by ensuring any loose items or debris caused by last night’s storms is tidied up if possible.

“Further storms are predicted for this afternoon and tomorrow so it is important residents take all the necessary precautions,” he said.

“Make sure your emergency kit is restocked, mobile phone is fully charged, have a torch with fresh batteries and keep a battery radio handy to monitor storm information.”

Mr McArdle said it was important to recognise the hard work of Ergon Energy and Energex crews over the festive season.

“I’d like to thank those who have been working tirelessly to restore power to homes and businesses,” he said.

If members of the public see any powerlines brought down or damaged, they are urged to keep themselves and others well away and phone Energex’s priority emergency number 13 19 62 or Ergon Energy on 13 16 70.

For power restoration updates, visit www.energex.com.au or www.ergon.com.au.

[ENDS] 30 December 2013

Media Contact: Natalie Wynne 0437 334 183