By Taylah Eastwell
Households suffering from ongoing power outages will be eligible for a weekly payment, the state government has confirmed.
Acting Premier James Merlino visited Olinda on Thursday 17 June to announce payments of $1,680 per week to households that are currently without power following last Wednesday’s catastrophic storm.
“Our existing disaster relief arrangements don’t cover for this kind of situation, hence the need for this new power outage payment that we will be able to provide people who may well be without power for a number of weeks,” Mr Merlino said.
“Whether it is for basic supplies or whether it’s to help support people find alternative accommodation off the hill as power is restored,” he said.
Mr Merlino said the current hardship payments did not take into account the ongoing loss of power, prompting the state government to write to the Acting Prime Minister Michael McCormack requesting a power outage payment for affected households.
The Star Mail understands a formal request has been put through to the federal government to go “50/50” in the new payments.
The payments will be available for up to three weeks and are expected to be administered by Ausnet to help families through the “unprecedented” power emergency.
The news comes after Ausnet recently confirmed Dandenong Ranges power outages were likely to continue until at least 10 July, despite earlier assurances lines would be reconnected by Sunday 20 June at the latest. The initial timeframes left many Hills residents questioning the accuracy of the predictions considering the level of destruction to local power infrastructure.
“The initial estimates provided to customers were wrong and we are deeply sorry for the distress this has caused,” an Ausnet spokesperson said.
“We now fully understand the extent of the damage and the scale of the recovery and repair ahead of us,” they said.
The revised estimates are expected to impact over 3,000 households in Ferny Creek, Kalorama, Mt Dandenong, Olinda, Sassafras, Sherbrooke, The Basin, Tremont and Upwey.
Mr Merlino confirmed at Wednesday’s press conference that about 7,000 households across the state remain disconnected.
Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio said energy companies had seen the damage they’d typically see over a two year period “compressed into two days”.
“The extent of the damage has been unprecedented in terms of our electricity infrastructure,” she said.
“I want to sympathise with every last person here in this region, I cant imagine how hard it is to be without power in what is very much a winter situation,” she said.
Yarra Ranges Council Streeton Ward councillor Cathrine Burnett-Wake, who has been stationed at Olinda each day since the storm, said the elderly and the vulnerable are struggling.
“Down in Sassafras I met a lady in her late 80’s from Sherbrooke, she had no power, her husband in his early 90’s was still in bed because it was too cold for him to get up because they have no heating,” she said.
“Not everyone can start a generator, and some can’t get off the mountain to get fuel.
“Council is really aware and conscious of supports people require so we are working in partnership with federal and state, hopefully we will get some more funding to have some more boots on the ground.
“We are just encouraging people if they can to get out to the hubs, we’ve got food there, hot showers, packages and support,” she said.
Details on how to apply for Prolonged Power Outage Payments will be announced in due course.
