Flooding in Queensland’s Maryborough CBD and throughout Wide Bay-Burnett has left many areas without power, with Ergon Energy Network crews working quickly to restore access.
Fraser Burnett Area Manager, Nick Grant, said crews had been assessing equipment to ensure power can be restored as quickly as possible once it’s safe to do so.
“We know everyone affected wants to know when we can get their power back on, but it is essential that equipment be checked for water damage before reconnecting power,” Mr Grant said.
“The safety of the community and our crews is our number one priority while we work on getting power back on.
“Water and electricity don’t mix, and after a flood peak of 10m, there’s the potential for not only our equipment, but also people’s homes and businesses being inundated, and it all needs to be checked to ensure it’s safe.”
Mr Grant said if people did have water come through their properties or business, they must get it checked by a licensed electrician.
“If the recent torrential rain has made its way into the ceilings or walls of your home or floodwaters have entered the building, you must contact a licensed electrician to check for damage to the property’s electrical system,” Mr Grant said.
“If your home or business is damaged preventing the reconnection of power, have a licensed electrical contractor repair electrical damage. Notify us when repairs are complete so power can be restored.
“Likewise, any electrical household appliances that have been affected by water should be checked by a licensed electrical contractor before use, or simply thrown away.”
Ergon Energy Network has brought in an additional 22 crew members to assist with the restoration of power to affected areas of Maryborough, Kilkivan and Murgon.
Mr Grant warned that some flood-affected areas will take longer to restore because of access issues.
“We really appreciate customers’ patience and will be doing everything we can to restore supply,” Mr Grant said
“But there are roads cut and bridges under water, and we follow the advice of Emergency Services that if it’s flooded, forget it.”
Estimates for restoration of power are available for most of the flood affected areas on Ergon Energy’s outage finder by clicking on the location pins on the map view or toggling each listing in the text view.
Further safety information is available on the Ergon Energy Network website.
