Power back for most Douglas communities



Power back for most Douglas communities

April 15 2014, 10:57 am

Electricity should be fully restored throughout the Douglas Shire by Wednesday afternoon says Ergon Energy. 

Fallen trees and impassable roads have hampered Ergon crews with access to some areas north of Mossman, including Daintree Village, slowing works down.

140 customers remain without power in the Mossman area, down from 1663 on Monday.

Ergon Chief Executive Ian McLeod said power had now been restored to almost all of the 3000 homes and businesses in the region left without power following Tropical Cyclone Ita.  

"Working together – both with customers and other agencies - we will get the job done," Mr McLeod said.

"I am also pleased to report that this event has so far seen no serious injuries among our crews or the public in terms of electrical accidents or infrastructure."

Ergon have received more than 8000 calls since midnight on Saturday to their electrical faults line. 

Of those calls, more than 3000 were received between 12 pm and 4 pm on Sunday.

Mr McLeod described Cooktown as 'ground zero' with resources continuing to flow into the region since the weekend. 

The Cooktown network is still under repair around 30 crews on the ground.

"It will still be some time before the network is fully repaired in Cooktown," Mr McLeod said.

"Cooktown copped the worst of what Ita had to deliver, but we have the resources there to repair and rebuild where necessary."

The remote Indigenous community of Hope Vale was expected to have power restored via temporary generation late yesterday, with similar efforts underway in Wujal Wujal.

More than 46,000 customers have been impacted since TC Ita began its slow march through far north and north Queensland last Friday.

In the Douglas Shire Oak Beach and Wonga Beach had power restored yesterday.