MEDIA RELEASE: APY LANDS LEFT WITHOUT ANSWERS OR POWER

Friday, 30 January

Residents of the APY Lands in the far north of South Australia have experienced several power outages during the state’s latest heatwave and the State and Federal Labor Governments need to explain why.

Senator for South Australia, Kerrynne Liddle, has received reports from locals of repeated blackouts in several communities and sought explanation from the power supplier without success.

“The issues I raised last summer appear largely unresolved,” Senator Liddle said.

“I asked why consumers are not being given sufficient notice of supply interruptions, or timely updates when blackouts occur, yet year after year there appears to be little improvement.”

“Consumers are entitled to better information given the impact on families, the financial cost of replacing soiled food and because of greater vulnerabilities related to health. The Minister should be prioritising these issues.”

“I was unable to get outage data for the heatwave, nor is it available publicly on a website like is commonplace elsewhere. Why?”

“There should be a minimum standard for communication and planning, so people are not left waiting without information, particularly during predictable seasonal pressures that disproportionately affect vulnerable communities.”

“The State and Federal Labor Governments need to explain what steps they are taking to improve retailer reporting, implement more accurate performance monitoring for consumers, and support vulnerable people during the summer months.”

“In one of South Australia’s most severe heatwaves on record, access to reliable energy is not optional.”