Michelle Slater
The state government is distributing eight-kilowatt generators and providing financial compensation to people in eligible areas still left in the dark after storms ravaged the community.
Parts of the Latrobe Valley had been without power for more than a week after a savage storm ripped through on October 29.
Those expected to remain without power into the weekend and next week will be contacted by AusNet and United Energy to apply for a generator.
There will also be an additional Prolonged Power Outage Payment of $1680 per week for eligible people.
Budgeree man Mark Reynolds was without power for six days when several larges trees took down power lines and blocked the road.
Mr Reynolds said it had taken three days for Budgeree to be listed on the AustNet outage tracker after he spent up to two hours on hold attempting to report the fault.
It comes as Mr Reynolds was still clearing hundreds of tonnes of fallen trees after being hit by the June storms that left him without power for more than a week.
“I explained to AusNet that there were 46 people on our line without power in Budgeree, but no one knew about the fault and that was the problem,” Mr Reynolds said.
“You normally assume it was reported and someone would come and look at it.”
Member for Morwell Russell Northe had been asking the state government to reopen the prolonged power outage payment after hearing how locals had been affected by extended blackouts.
Mr Northe said he had also spoken with emergency management commissioner Andrew Crisp discussing systematic gaps in responses and warning systems.
“Our office has heard from families with newborn babies or older people who could not live in their house without power, who’ve had to find alternative accommodation,” Mr Northe said.
“There is a financial cost and also an emotional side, it’s important the government reopens a program like this.”
