By Emma Oliveri, Energy Queensland
In the face of major floods, relentless rain, landslides, highway closures, and logistical challenges at every turn, Ergon Energy crews recently went above and beyond to restore power to 33,000 customers affected by severe weather and flooding in North Queensland.
Emergency manager Chris Hooper said the widespread event caused network impacts from Mossman to Mackay, including the Tablelands, Innisfail, Cardwell, Ingham, Palm Island, Townsville, Magnetic Island, the Burdekin, and Charters Towers.
“It has been a phenomenal effort from our crews to get the lights back on for customers in all affected communities, some of which could only be reached by air or barge at the height of the flood emergency,” he said.
“The Ergon teams in the field, in the network control centre, and working behind the scenes met every challenge thrown at them to get the power back on, after landslides wiped out poles and wires, two substations had to be de-energised for public safety, floodwaters washed away a bridge across the national highway, and some aircraft landings had to be aborted.
“When Ingham was isolated, our local crews kept their community safe and paved the way for a complex and challenging restoration effort.
“While the road to recovery will be a long one for some flood victims, the safe restoration of power is a significant step forward for communities as the clean-up continues,” Hooper said.
In the air, on the ground, and on the water, 300 Ergon personnel were involved in the emergency response, including field crews from Atherton, Cairns, Cannonvale, Charters Towers, Home Hill, Ingham, Innisfail, Mackay, Mount Isa, Mossman, Pinnacle, and Townsville.
Related article: More than 300,000 without power in wake of ex-TC Alfred
“They pulled out all stops—from our specialist substation crews who flew into Ingham to get the bulk supply point back online in record time, to the lineys and electrical fitter mechanics slogging it out in torrential rain and mud, and the customer service crews who go door to door, street by street.
“I even got back on the tools myself when we needed all hands on deck in Ingham, and the reaction from customers when the lights came back on was a reminder of the powerful impact our crews have on the community,” Hooper said.
Disaster response and recovery is a team effort, and the constant hive of activity at the Ollera Creek worksite on the highway north of Townsville was a prime example.
It was here that Ergon Energy crews rebuilt the backbone of the high-voltage network after poles and wires were washed away by raging floodwaters.
At the same site, Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel installed a temporary bridge across the highway before Transport and Mains Roads RoadTek crews rebuilt the bridge.
While the bridge works were underway, Queensland Rail carted first responders, Ergon crews, and local residents across the highway on the rail line.
“We never walk alone in disaster response, and we are always grateful to everyone involved for their help and support with logistics, including the ADF, who used Chinook helicopters to airlift large-scale generators to critical sites in Ingham.
“We could not get the job done without emergency services, disaster management groups, local councils, community groups, licenced electrical contractors, and everyone who provided timely information, transport, equipment, accommodation and meals.
“To our customers and communities, who have been incredibly patient, understanding, and supportive in some challenging and changing circumstances, a big thank you to you all on behalf of Ergon Energy Network,” Hooper said.
After any major event, Ergon Energy Network’s emergency management team will hold a formal debrief and cast a wide net for feedback from everyone involved in the response to ensure any lessons learnt are captured and incorporated into disaster planning in future.
“Every natural disaster is different, and we have learnt from the logistical challenges that have been quite unique to this event to ensure we make the best use of our crews’ time on the ground,” Hooper said.
“We continue to utilise the latest technology and digital platforms to ensure a safe and efficient response.
“Intelligence and data are crucial to operational decision making and are improving as technology advances. Being able to monitor network assets remotely through cameras and sensors as floodwaters rise and it is unsafe for crews to be doing visual inspections has been a game changer.”
When there are major impacts on other infrastructure, like roads, rail and airports, timely status updates can help Ergon get additional crews, vehicles, and equipment in via the safest, fastest routes.
“This multi-agency response again reinforced the importance of everyone working together to achieve all our objectives and support customers and communities in the disaster zone,” Hooper said.
At every link in the chain, communication is critical, especially when it comes to sharing electrical safety messages with flood victims and helping them make decisions for their households and businesses based on power restoration targets.
“We kept the community informed every step of the way using every available channel–traditional media, social media, our Outage Finder and a live news feed on our website, the 24/7 Network Contact Centre, and face-to-face community outreach in the flood zone,” Hooper said.
Ergon Energy Network’s potential media audience reach was more than 45 million people; its social media content was seen 6.4 million times; the online Outage Finder attracted more than 550,000 views; the call centre team answered 5886 calls and made a special effort to check in with life support customers; and the community outreach team had hundreds of conversations with residents in and around Ingham.
As one Facebook follower summed it up: “Your communication has been second only to your team’s hard, sweaty slog during this trying time. Awesome job, everyone.”
Related article: Ergon crews battle elements to restore power in North Qld
But wait, there’s more…
Having just returned to normal programming following the disaster recovery in North Queensland, power crews were once again called on to restore power to South-East Queensland and Northern NSW in the wake of ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred.
More than 300,000 homes and businesses were without power as Alfred arrived on March 8, delivering damaging winds, heavy rain, and flooding.
Northern NSW, the Gold Coast, and Hervey Bay were among the worst affected areas. Despite being downgraded from a category 2 cyclone to a tropical low, Alfred tore roofs off buildings and dismantled powerlines, plunging hundreds of thousands of residents into darkness.
Crews from Ergon, Energex, and Essential Energy worked around the clock to restore the network in affected areas. Their tireless efforts are acknowledged and appreciated.
