An inquiry is set to begin following the outage that left 20,000 residents in outback communities without electricity due to suspected tornadoes damaging major power lines. The situation forced these residents to rely on a single faulty backup generator.
On Tuesday, towns in western New South Wales faced the aftermath of the power failure, with many clearing out refrigerators filled with spoiled food and medications. The mains supply in the Broken Hill area failed on Monday, prompting the activation of backup generators at major hospitals, although some primary schools remained without power.
The region, which experienced temperatures exceeding 33°C, has faced inconsistent electricity supply since severe thunderstorms last Thursday severely damaged transmission infrastructure linked to the national grid.
Gas-fired generators were supposed to provide backup for the mains supply, but one generator has been offline for nearly a year, while the other failed around 5 p.m. on Monday as temperatures reached 30°C. Extreme heat inside the second generator delayed inspections until midday Tuesday.
Power restoration was expected later that evening. Premier Chris Minns criticized network operator Transgrid for lacking redundancies “for precisely this scenario.” He emphasized the need for compliance with existing rules and pledged to investigate why they were not followed.
Minns also reassured residents that government leaders in Sydney were focused on addressing the outage. The local council anticipates the disaster’s cost could reach millions of dollars, and government disaster relief has been made available.
Local MP Roy Butler, briefed alongside government and industry leaders on Tuesday, noted he received conflicting information regarding the offline status of one generator since November. His immediate focus remains on meeting the community’s needs, including access to food during this challenging period.
“We’ve had supermarkets unable to open, and many small businesses have struggled to get staff on shift,” Butler said. “There has been a rapid response to ensure additional generators are deployed.”
In a positive light, community support has shone through, with local pubs offering extra freezer space for residents. However, not all news was encouraging. A local pharmacist reported the theft of a briefcase-sized generator on Tuesday morning, which powered their medicine fridges. “To the oxygen thief… you’ve ruined tens of thousands of dollars worth of essential medication,” Outback Pharmacies expressed on social media.
Police are investigating the theft of the two-kilowatt generator. Emergency work to reconnect the damaged transmission network is expected to take until at least November 6. Residents have been advised to minimize electricity usage from 5:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. while backup generators are in operation.
Nationals leader Dugald Saunders criticized the government for ignoring local warnings about the prolonged offline status of the gas-fired generator. Transgrid announced that additional generators would be installed overnight and more units were on the way, with power expected to be restored to all homes and businesses by tomorrow afternoon.
A 24-hour rotating shift will commence Wednesday to rebuild the damaged power lines. Authorities have urged travelers to avoid the areas surrounding Broken Hill, Tibooburra, Wilcannia, Menindee, and White Cliffs unless absolutely necessary.
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