Ergon powers the recovery effort in Far North Queensland

In the face of dual disasters, which caused widespread damage to the electricity network and cut power to more than 50,000 customers across Far North Queensland, Ergon Energy crews ensured the lights were back on for Christmas.???

Ergon’s acting Chief Operating Officer Jeff Green said it had been a marathon team effort in the countdown to Christmas.?

“We were on track to have power safely restored to everyone impacted by the cyclone in under a week when the flood emergency began and forced us to revise our restoration targets.??

“Our Ergon and Energex teams from across Queensland worked together in extremely challenging conditions in some devastated communities to ensure the power network was up and running or mobile generation support was available for Christmas.???

“The response from those communities and customers has been so uplifting for our crews who are supporting them on the road to recovery.?

“We've seen children cheering our crews as the convoy left the Cairns Showgrounds, deliveries of home-baked goods and messages of support from people who were grateful to have their power back on – these gestures are humbling for our crews and a reminder of the impact of their work, especially after a natural disaster,” Mr Green said.????? ?

The Ergon team will continue to support the recovery and reconstruction effort in Far North Queensland. ??

In areas where major flooding and landslides have altered the landscape and caused catastrophic damage to infrastructure, including poles and wires, the electricity network will need to be redesigned and rebuilt.??

“We will be supporting those communities with generation while we work with local authorities to assess how we can build back better or provide alternative energy solutions, like standalone power systems, which we have successfully trialled at the fringe of the grid,” Mr Green said.??

Any homes or businesses that were damaged in the cyclone or floods need to be inspected by a licenced electrical contractor before they can be safely reconnected to Ergon’s electricity network.???

“Sadly, we’ve had reports of scammers posing as licenced electrical contractors in the flood and cyclone zone, so we encourage customers to check an electrician's credentials or seek advice from Master Electricians Australia or the National Electrical and Communications Association,” Mr Green said.??

“On behalf of Ergon, I’d like to thank all our partners in this disaster response, including emergency services, SES volunteers, disaster management groups, Councils, contractors and community organisations. It is always a team effort and we appreciate your support to get our customers and communities back on their feet.”????