Teams of electricians are desperately needed in Lismore to get hundreds of residents reconnected to the grid.
Essential Energy requires all flood affected houses to be certified as safe by an electrician before it will reconnect the homes, predominantly in North and South Lismore.
Lismore City Councillor Eddie Lloyd today called on NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian and Member for Lismore Thomas George MP to urgently fix the situation by sending a team of electricians house-to-house through flood-affected areas.
‘Electricity is obviously dangerous, and it’s important that homes are checked so people’s safety is not put at risk.
‘But after the harrowing experience that so many people have been through, it is not fair to expect them to wait until they can get – or afford – a private electrician to come over to their house.
‘Residents desperately need their electricity so they can start washing clothes, have a shower, make a cup of tea, and get back on with their lives.
‘That’s why re-connecting residences to the grid should be a priority of the flood recovery effort.
‘This is something that Gladys Berejiklian and Thomas George can fix right now, today, and I urge them to get moving quickly.’
Miss Lloyd said that around 590 residences in Lismore were still without power, along with many more in the Tweed region.
‘North Lismore is particularly hard hit, as there is still a lot of water lying around.
‘I’ve heard from a number of people who have already been waiting several days for an electrician, and are getting extremely frustrated.
‘The State Government should also be reimbursing those residents who have been able to get hold an electrician.’
Miss Lloyd also called on the Federal Government to deliver emergency funding without delay, instead of requiring affected residents to fill out extensive and unnecessary paperwork.
‘The Federal Government prides itself on cutting red tape – well it needs to cut the red tape on emergency assistance, and get money to needy people today.’
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