Mullewa outage outrage

A number of Mullewa residents and business owners have expressed concern over upcoming power outages, saying they will adversely affect revenue and the wellbeing of people in the community.

Last week Western Power advised residents of Mullewa that works to replace powerlines would cause outages from 8am to 5pm every Thursday, between February 25 and May 12.

Chris Jones, owner of Jonesy’s Cafe in Mullewa, said the timing and frequency of the outages would hurt his business.

“Thursday is when a lot of the benefit payments from Centrelink come in and it’s our busiest day,” he said.

“If this was any other day or if (the power outages) were planned over a couple of months we’d be OK. We’re upset because we weren’t consulted at all.”

Western Power head of works program planning Lou Tognolini said the company had been in regular contact with local business and the council prior to the works starting.

While Mr Tognolini gave no specific reason why Thursdays were chosen for the planned outages, he said the works would provide a more stable power supply to the people of Mullewa.

“We understand that power interruptions can be inconvenient but outages are necessary to allow crews to safely complete network upgrades that will benefit customers in the long run,” he said.

“While Thursday will be an outage day for customers, this does not mean it will be the only day Western Power will be working on the upgrade.

“Much of the work will be completed during the rest of the week on live lines without turning the power off to reduce the impact on our customers.

“Previous feedback from the community has been that a consistent day of the week is preferable when multiple outages are required and that advanced notice of outages is appreciated.”

Some rural property owners in Mullewa who rely on electricity for running water are upset about the outages, arguing they will be forced off their land while their power is turned off.

Mullewa resident Jemma McGregor lives on a farming property that has recently experienced temperatures of more than 45C which she said were unbearable without air-conditioning and access to running water.

“We were shocked when we heard about the power cuts because we were only given two weeks notice, and now we’ll have to pack up and drive to Geraldton every Thursday,” she said.

“I’ve got young children and I can’t have them in that heat with no running water.”

“It seems like a strange time of year to be shutting off the power.”

City of Greater Geraldton Mayor Shane Van Styn confirmed the power outages were out of the City’s control and offered his sympathies.

In a statement the mayor said he would be working with the State Government to make the process easier on residents.

“We’re taking the community’s frustration on board and we will do what we can do make the power outage process as less intrusive as possible, however we play no role in determining the schedule for the power outages,” he said.

“I will be meeting with MLA Ian Blayney as well as councillors to discuss the matter and see what the best solution is for our community.”

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