Power being restored to Kalgoorlie-Boulder after outages ground ...
Power is starting to return to Kalgoorlie-Boulder, in Western Australia's Goldfields, after widespread outages hit the city's water supply, fuel stations, internet connections and communications services.
Key points:
- The power was out in Kalgoorlie-Boulder for two days
- Five transmission towers were felled in a powerful summer storm
- Authorities had asked people to prepare to go without power for up to a week
About 1,600 people in the outback city, about 600 kilometres east of Perth, were still without power on Friday morning after a summer storm knocked out essential services on Wednesday.
But in the wider region, thousands of people were still without power.
The Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) has warned people should be prepared for power outages of up to seven days.
Western Power spokesman Zane Christmas said one of Kalgoorlie's key back-up generators that failed yesterday was now up and running.
"It's by no means a permanent fix," he said. "And to be honest, it's not ideal in terms of supplying the overall load.
"But from a technical perspective, while we work at restoring that damaged power line, it's maybe the best that we can come up with right now."
Main Roads said traffic lights have come back on in Kalgoorlie, although the city and nearby Coolgardie have no fuel.
Western Power on Friday morning released images showing massive transmission lines completely toppled by the force of the storm.
Kalgoorlie-Boulder Mayor Glenn Wilson said the partial restoration came as a "great relief".
He said blackouts were still affecting parts of the city and communities elsewhere in the Goldfields.
Look back at how ABC readers and other Australians responded to this live moment.
Another briefing expected later today
40m ago40 minutes agoFri 19 Jan 2024 at 2:22am
That's where we'll leave it for now. Authorities will give another briefing later in the day. We will bring that to you live also.
Heatwave health alert issued
46m ago46 minutes agoFri 19 Jan 2024 at 2:16am
WA health authorities have issued a statement urging people in the Goldfields and Wheatbelt to take immediate steps to stay safe in extreme heat.
Kalgoorlie Regional Hospital saw 20 heat related presentations on Thursday.
“We know communities are doing it tough at the moment, but it’s really important to follow the health advice to keep well in this heat,” a WA Country Health Service spokeswoman said.
“It will also help reduce pressure on our already busy emergency departments."
The spokeswoman said all health sites impacted by blackouts were still operating.
Premier defends electricity network
51m ago51 minutes agoFri 19 Jan 2024 at 2:12am
Premier Cook defended the resilience of WA's power network, and praised the speed at which Western Power was able to begin restoring connections.
"The complete outage of the entire area was a very rare event, so when those backup generators switched on, they automatically tripped," he said.
"What they [Western Power] were able to do was introduce a level of power from other parts of the grid.
"But, we do need to look at those backup systems, make sure that they're fit for purpose."
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What went wrong?
An intense storm that moved through the regions beginning on Tuesday was responsible for the ensuing blackout.
That storm, which hit with force during the middle of a heatwave, tore down trees and ripped roofs in a widespread area that even impacted eastern suburbs of Perth.
In a statement issued on Thursday evening, Western Power said the cause of the outage was damage to the network from a lightning strike.
"The 220-kilovolt transmission line that supplies Kalgoorlie has sustained significant damage from the storm front that moved through the region," a spokesperson said.
"There are currently five towers down with repairs expected to take some time."
As recently as November, Western Power said its alternative generation supply arrangement at the West Kalgoorlie Terminal with Synergy, via two gas turbine generators, "can be used as a backup power supply for unplanned outages".
But in the wake of the storm, both became out of service due to technical issues.
While one is now back online, the company said full restoration would take "a number of days".
Medical services impacted
Dr Michael Livingston said when the power first went off at his Narembeen practice he started seeing patients in the dark.
“I quickly realised this might not be working very well as both the patient and I had this sweat dripping off our faces,” he said.
But he said after losing phone and internet service he could not proceed.
“I was just like, this is very precarious,” he said. "Putting the most isolated communities at the greatest risk.”
He said all up the blackout would have cost him more than $20,000, partly because vaccines and medicines would have spoiled.
On Thursday, Dr Kylie Sterry told ABC Regional Drive that her medical centre had closed.
"It's impossible to run a medical practice in 40-degree heat," she said.
"With no lights, no air conditioners and no computers.
"Unfortunately there's a lot of patients who can't see a doctor today."
She advised people to stay in the shade as much as possible, wear light clothing and drink as much water as possible.
Kalgoorlie resident Esther Roadnight, 73, said going more than 24 hours without power, on a 41C day, was stressful.
"It's not a good experience to go through," she said.
She said she was particularly worried about friends who relied on electric medical equipment and those who did not fare well in the heat.
"There'd be quite a number of them that would have been suffering quite badly," she said.
WA Country Health Service said it saw 20 heat-related presentations at local hospitals on Thursday.
Who's to blame?
The WA opposition has blamed the state government for the blackout, declaring it should have ensured there was adequate backup for the town.
Opposition energy spokesman Steve Thomas said the government appeared to have done little to improve energy security in the Goldfields since 2022.
"The state government was aware two years ago in 2022, with the last round of blackouts, that there was a problem with the backup system," he said.
"Two years later, and two ministers later, we still haven't got a solution."
Mr Thomas said the government should have been able to use some of its budget surplus to ensure power supplied weren't interrupted for so long.
"If this was happening in the middle of Perth you would have a completely different outcome," he said.
Earlier, Energy Minister Reece Whitby said he had "incredible sympathy" for those affected by power outages across the state, which he said were triggered by a "pretty extraordinary weather event".
"Can I assure everyone that's impact that Western Power is doing absolutely everything they can," he said.
"I know people are frustrated, I know it's difficult and I know there are issues out there."
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