Ausgrid has restored power to its customers following prolonged outages across NSW caused by wild weather across the state.
The weekend of 8-9 February 2020 saw torrential rain causing flash flooding across Sydney and NSW, damaging properties and infrastructure, and leaving thousands of people without power in the state.
Ausgrid had engaged additional crews from Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to assist with clearing trees in order to re-energise the network.
The NSW branch of the Electrical Trades Union (ETU) claimed that the delayed return to power is the result of massive cuts to the number of electricians working at the coalface of the poles and wires network over recent years.
ETU secretary, Justin Page, said the ongoing blackouts were the result of 5000 job losses in the sector since 2015.
“Our members have been working around the clock in recent days, desperately attempting to restore power to homes and businesses,” Mr Page said.
“But the fact is that with 5000 fewer workers there simply aren’t as many highly skilled people available to do the work.”
Ausgrid said in a statement the storm was one of the worst the network had seen in the past 20 years.
