Much of the Benalla is without power once again, with another raft of blackouts leaving local residents and businesses in the dark.
Residents in major towns across the region, including Benalla, Euroa, Violet Town, Swanpool, Avenel, Nagambie, and Seymour were all impacted this week, with the number of affected households well into the thousands.
Nationals Member for Euroa Annabelle Cleeland said the high frequency of blackouts across the region was simply unacceptable.
“The constant power outages impacting our regional communities cannot continue,” Ms Cleeland said.
“I understand that there is a need for occasional maintenance, however the regular unplanned outages are having a significant impact on the health of our local residents and financial viability of businesses.
“Just this week, I have heard from several constituents who have struggled during these outages, including those with disabilities, the elderly, and business owners.
“This is unfortunately not a rare occurrence, with power issues being one of the most frequently raised topics by members of the community.”
One local resident, Melisse Robinson, owner of the Tatong Tavern, said she has lost tens of thousands of dollars just this year due to unplanned outages.
“It is a significant loss of income to our small business,” Ms Robinson said.
“We experience short-term power loss at least once per week.”
Ms Cleeland said these outages were particularly untimely as the community prepares for Christmas.
“These outages are doing more than just keeping residents in the dark, they are hitting people’s pockets at a time when they can least afford it,” Ms Cleeland said.
“With fridges and freezers being emptied as temperatures climbed as high as 36 degrees, the amount of spoiled food is sadly going to be an expensive concern for many members of the community.
“Families have already been forced to spend significantly more on groceries, while power bills continue to skyrocket despite the unreliability of services, and rents are through the roof.”
Ms Cleeland said it was time for the Government to step in and ensure the region’s unreliable electricity supply was properly managed.
“Earlier this year, I wrote to the Minister for Energy to investigate the frequency of outages in the Benalla region and to ensure these do not remain a constant burden on our local community,” Ms Cleeland said.
“Sadly, the issue seems to only have gotten worse.
“Labor must take this issue seriously and prevent further turmoil for our regional communities.”
Ms Cleeland also encouraged all those impacted by the outages to keep a record of the time without power, the frequency of outages, and to apply for any compensation that may be available.
Compensation claims can be made via Ausgrid at https://www.ausgrid.com.au/Contact-Us/Make-a-claim-Step-1
Information on outages in your area can be found at https://www.outagetracker.com.au/
