Nationals Member for Euroa Annabelle Cleeland has welcomed AusNet’s announcement of a $10m community fund set to provide aid to communities impacted by regular power outages.
The Energy Resilience Community Fund will be offered in tandem with the guaranteed service level payment and prolonged power outage payments already being provided, offering another opportunity for communities like Euroa to recoup some of the costs from recent power outages.
Ms Cleeland said the announcement of the fund was a direct result of the community making their voices heard.
“Following months of powerful community advocacy, AusNet are now making several changes to prevent the regular power outages happening across the region,” Ms Cleeland said.
“One of the most rewarding new developments for the community is the launch of a $10 million resilience fund, allowing residents and local businesses to recoup costs from the outages.
“I want to thank everyone in the region who contributed and shared your stories with me.
“It was so important to hear from those impacted by these power outages and understand the very real effect this is having on households and businesses.
“Within a month our collective efforts have compelled AusNet to improve the situation following decades of problems.
“It is inspiring to see what we can achieve as a community when we stand together.”
The community fund will work in three key areas: immediate support, community infrastructure and resilience, and small business energy resilience.
The community fund will provide immediate support to boost local recovery efforts and assist small businesses most impacted by the power outages who are not eligible for other payments.
The fund will also involve supporting and enhancing community facilities so that locals can better access essential support, information, and services.
AusNet has already provided funding to local food relief charities in affected communities to boost their capacity to feed locals who may have needed to dispose of frozen and refrigerated food during the prolonged power outage.
Local businesses will also be consulted to determine their specific needs, with support such as education and facilitation of solar and storage solutions to aid in business continuity and other initiatives aimed at fostering recovery.
To register your interest to receive further information and updates on the Energy Resilience Community Fund, please email ercf@ausnetservices.com.au.
