NEWS DESK
Long storm clean up continues Continued from Page 1 The government was also offering the use of generators, with priority given to customers expected to be without power last weekend and into this week due to the extensive damage caused by 100km winds and hundreds of falling trees. Customers can call the DELWP customer contact centre on 1800 518 123 to apply for a generator, which provides enough power for basics, such as lights, microwave and a small heater. Minister for Energy, Environment, and Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio said on Friday she was “working with the Commonwealth on support for businesses still without power”. Residents in the hardest-hit areas, such as Red Hill and Mount Eliza, were fed up after a week without power and feeling especially vulnerable, with big trees weakened by the wind threatening to topple or drop branches at any time. Resident Amanda Wrangles said a tree on her nature strip that had been reported and declared unsafe, but not removed, fell into her house taking power lines with it along with causing “significant damage”. “It’s Day 6 [Thursday 3 November] for us now without power [and] live lines are still all over the ground across the front of our property and street,” she said. “We’d really appreciate it if it could be made safe.” Christine Mellett said she would “feel safer” if the authorities removed the tree on her nature strip that keeps
Big job ahead: Sorrento SES members Anna Stephens and Doug Grant stand before two enormous pine trees blocking Main Creek Road in Red Hill. Picture: Supplied
dropping branches “but the arborist says it is safe. Ha.” Deb Pierce said after six days without power: “Trees are leaning on my house. Trees on the nature strip are still falling. I would be happy if I felt like someone is helping but [it’s] not happening.” Sorrento SES Controller Mark Daw said hillside communities were at risk of further damage with many huge trees still standing after last week’s wild weather but “threatening” to fall at any time. He said SES “strike teams” at Red Hill were being backed up by reserves from NSW eager to help their southern colleagues. “We are still getting calls for help in dribs and drabs,” he said, adding that crews were “exhausted” after seven days of mayhem. “We’ve had 10 calls for help this morning and we are plugging along.
We are in a clean-up phase. We seem to be clearing most jobs.” Sorrento SES has 45 members but a core bunch of 15 volunteers working one or two hours each day. “Blairgowrie and Rye were also badly hit,” Controller Daw said. “There were many trees on cars and many threatening trees there.” Constant drizzle on Wednesday 3 November found many homes exposed with broken tiles causing leaky roofs. United Energy said Thursday it was still working to restore power to about 2000 customers – including a huge proportion on the Mornington Peninsula – on Thursday last week. “About 1200 customers have been off supply since Friday 29 October, with others losing power over the following days,” spokesman Jordan Oliver said. “A further 230 were impacted by yesterday’s (Wednesday’s)
weather. Mr Oliver said United Energy had restored power to more than 250,000 homes and businesses, with the hardest-hit areas mostly on the Mornington Peninsula. “We know this is difficult and frustrating for every customer who is still without power,” he said. “This is the biggest restoration program we have conducted in recent years. Major construction work is underway in Red Hill, Frankston, Sorrento and through other parts of the Mornington Peninsula. “Our crews are responding to more than 1800 different faults, including repairing 700 sites with fallen or damaged wires across the south-eastern suburbs and the peninsula.” He acknowledged some customers had “been frustrated by shifting estimated [power] restoration times”. “It has been difficult to estimate this with the extent of damage received to the network,” he said. Fallen power lines were still a problem late last week. They can be reported on 13 20 99. Red Hill Market was cancelled on the weekend over concerns it would attract too many visitors to the heavily impacted area. The police advised the shire’s Emergency Management coordinator that the market, scheduled for last Saturday (6 November), should not proceed because of the loss of power and water and the ongoing risk posed by unstable trees.
Courthouse fire probe By Stephen Taylor AN arson chemist was investigating the cause of a fire which damaged the Dromana Courthouse last week. Dromana CFA First Lieutenant Justin Hellyer said crews from Dromana and Rosebud fought the blaze which appeared to start in a doorway at the rear of the building in Codrington Street, 5am, Thursday 4 November. When fire crews arrived the blaze had “severely damaged” the rear access area and parts of the roof and fascia were well alight. It took the 12 firefighters about 30 minutes to bring the blaze under control with fold-up chairs and the magistrate’s desk destroyed. Plaster had to be pulled down so they could tackle the blaze in the roof. Rosebud police taped off the building. Sergeant Will Harvey said the cause of the fire may have been accidental. “A homeless person may have been sleeping there and perhaps a cigarette butt caused it,” he said.
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10 November 2021
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