The Far West region of NSW is experiencing a widespread electricity outage after severe thunderstorms on Thursday, 17 October.
This storm has had a devastating impact on power supplies to Broken Hill and towns throughout the Far West of NSW, including White Cliffs, Wilcannia and Menindee.
10,000 homes and businesses were initially left without electricity after transmission towers supplying electricity to the region were damaged.
A large-scale back-up generator has restored power to approximately 9,000 homes and businesses with an estimated 1,400 customers around Wilcannia, Menindee and White Cliffs still without power.
It’s expected that constructing temporary towers to restore the transmission line will take a number of weeks.
The NSW Government immediately activated an emergency response and is coordinating assistance across a number of emergency services and government agencies, as well as electricity companies, who are responding to this event:
- Multiple agencies are involved in transporting supplies including generators, fuel pods, cool rooms, lighting towers and Starlinks (satellite connections) to the area.
- The NSW Government is working with Transgrid and Essential Energy to safely manage impacts on communities.
- NSW Police is leading the coordination of support by government agencies and will manage the distribution of fuel supplies.
- RFS is establishing community hubs at RFS Brigade Stations in Menindee, Wilcannia and White Cliffs.
- SES units at Menindee and Wilcannia are open for community members to drop in and charge their devices and are deploying generators to local organisations.
- NSW Health is contacting vulnerable patients in areas impacted. Essential Energy is also making contact with registered Life Support customers who remain without power.
- NSW Telco Authority has deployed a Cell On Wheels and mobile radio assets to Menindee.
- NSW Department of Education has mobilised an Emergency Response Unit that is coordinating the delivery of generators from Sydney to schools in the Far West, with a priority for schools with students sitting the HSC and students with special needs.
- Transgrid and Essential Energy crews have completed their assessment of the damage and are now engineering the repair works and deploying small mobile generators in multiple locations.
