Updated 11.40am Tuesday: Power has been restored to customers across the flood-affected areas in the northern rivers, however work continues on the ground with the inspection of customers’ switchboards to ensure electrical safety at all homes and businesses.
Inspections have been completed in Lismore and are continuing in Murwillumbah, Burringbar, Condong and Tumbulgum.
Essential Energy teams are attending to a number of single premise jobs and say they expect work of this nature to continue over the next week.
Customers are also encouraged to call 132080 if they have questions or enquiries.
Updated 12pm Monday: Some 515 customers remained without power in flood-affected areas on the far north coast at midday Monday.
The majority of these customer (200) are located in North and South Lismore, with a further 190 customers in Yorklea losing power this morning when a tee fell over lines. Crews are making repairs in Yorklea and hope to have the power restored by 5pm.
Pockets of customers in Round Mountain, Gundurimba and Uki are also without power along with 93 single premise jobs that crews are getting through today.
Essential Energy has mobilised extra electrical technicians who are assisting with premise-by-premise checks in Lismore, Murwillumbah and Tumbulgum to help customers secure safety clearance certification for power to be restored to individual homes and businesses.
These technicians are working directly with customers to inspect switchboards so that power can be restored as quickly as safety will allow.
They continue to provide updates to customers via Facebook, Twitter and text messages, and customers are encouraged to call us for further information on 132080.
Sunday update: Some 590 customers remained without power on Sunday evening, after a day when helicopters and boats were utilised across the region to ferry in crews and equipment and assist with repairs.
Powerlines were re-strung in both Burringbar and Tyalgum with assistance from helicopters, and crews were able to restore power to 170 customers in South Gundurimba using boats to move around the network and isolate where damage had occurred.
Work will continue into this evening, however we expect approximately 500 customers to be without power overnight.
Essential Energy continues to stay in contact with customers via text messages and Facebook and customers are encouraged to call us on 132080 if they need any further information.
South Lismore
Power has been restored to more than 600 customers today with crews continuing to visit every premise in this area to assess whether switchboards have been inundated with water or not. We will continue to work with customers so as power can be progressively restored to the remaining 460, however we hope to return power to more customers this evening.
Gundurimba
Power has been restored to 170 customers with 8 customers remaining without supply. Crews were able to gain access to the network via boat to isolate parts of the network so as power could be returned to as many customers as possible. We hope to be able to get access tomorrow to where power poles and lines were washed away so that repairs can be made.
Tyalgum
Three customers remain without power in this area. Access remains difficult due to washed away roads and bridges. These customers are expected to be without power overnight.
Burringbar and surrounding areas
Power has been restored to the majority of customers in this area with a small number to be without power overnight.
Round Mountain
Twenty customers remain without power in Round Mountain. Work continues with repairs however we don’t have an estimated time for when power will be back on.
Goonengerry and Tyagarah
A handful of customers remain without power in these areas. Access has hampered efforts of restoration with estimated times of when power will be back on not yet available.
Saturday update: As flood waters recede Essential Energy crews are gaining access to a number of areas on the network to make repairs.
Helicopters continue to be used to patrol lines where access isn’t available, with crews and equipment being dropped in to inaccessible locations, where safe to do so.
Essential Energy is reminding customers and business owners that if water has entered their property, to have a qualified electrician inspect electrical wiring and any potentially damaged electrical appliances before power is restored, and to contact Essential Energy on 13 20 80.
As of Saturday afternoon (April 1) some 3,800 customers remain without power. Essential Energy hopes to have power restored to a number of customers by late today, with access becoming available for the first time in many locations. This includes Uki and areas south west of Uki, Goonengerry, Main Arm, parts of Upper Wilson’s Creek, sections of Burringbar, Mooball and Mt Nardi.
Customers in Gundurimba, south of Lismore, will remain without power overnight and possibly into Monday/Tuesday due to a number of power poles and associated electrical equipment being washed away, and access not being available to this section of the network.
It is also likely that some customers in Boat Harbour, Bexhill and North Lismore will also remain without power overnight.
Essential Energy is continuing to provide updates for customers via local media and Facebook, or customers can call them on 13 20 80.
Original report: Essential Energy crews have been working to restore power to more than 6,800 customers across the North Coast today with more work to be done this evening and in to tomorrow.
5,500 customers remain without power following the severe weather over the past 24 hours and the majority of these customers will not have their power back on until tomorrow or possibly Sunday.
Flood waters have prevented access to large sections of the network cutting off roads and access tracks.
Areas without power overnight include:
- North Lismore (CBD) – power will not be restored to this area until flood waters start to recede, which is anticipated to be around midday Saturday.
- Gundurimba – helicopters flew over this area today and have confirmed that 10 power poles are down along with associated electrical equipment.
- Mooball and surrounding area – faults detected on line, access unavailable due to flood waters.
- Boat Harbour – wires down along Numinbah Road, access unavailable due to flood waters.
- Uki and west of Uki – wires down near Doon Doon Road, access unavailable due to flood waters.
- Round Mountain – damage along entire line, some repairs occurring however can’t access entire line due to flood waters.
- East Lismore – access unavailable due to flood waters.
- West Mullumbimby – vegetation in lines, access unavailable due to flood waters.
- Lavertys Gap – access unavailable due to flood waters.
- Tintenbar – access unavailable due to flood waters.
- Kyogle – access unavailable due to flood waters.
- Mt Nardi – access unavailable due to flood waters.
Essential Energy has utilised helicopters throughout the afternoon to fly sections of the network around Lismore that are inaccessible. These patrols will more north to areas around Murwillumbah tomorrow morning to confirm network damage, access and possibly drop crews and equipment in to make repairs.
Essential Energy is reminding customers to be aware of the possibility of fallen powerlines, especially in flooded areas, and to call us on 13 20 80 to report fallen lines immediately. We are also asking customers whose homes or businesses have been inundated by flood waters to report this to us.
Why on earth is Essential Energy asking residents who have had their homes flooded, and most of those who were flooded are in low income housing, to pay for an Electrician. EE should get THEIR certifiers out there and do the checking.
Yesterday at 4pm 2 EE staff turned up at my place, After hearing I had 20cm of water through the house they said I needed a Certification. After I “hit the roof” they came in an did the physical inspection. They then ticked the boxes on their clip board and turned our power back on, save for the hot water which went under. They promised to come back in 2 days to inspect that.
So in this instance a bit of yelling and swearing got my power back on.
What Essential Energy are doing seems unreasonable. Instead of restoring power to our premises so we can begin to clean up properly they have disconnected the power and left a flyer as per the last comment. Surely they can use common sense, support the community and those hit hardest by the flood and make a quick assessment instead of extending the hardship being experienced by a lot of people.