Goldfields up and running, but parts of Wheatbelt still without power

Western Power crews have made “significant headway” over the weekend, restoring power supply to all customers across the Goldfields region who were impacted by a widespread power outage.

But work is still ongoing in the Wheatbelt, with Western Power crews patrolling lines between Wongan Hills, Bencubbin and Dowerin and helicopter patrols in and around Kalannie.

It comes after Kalgoorlie, Merredin, Kellerberrin and surrounding areas were plunged into darkness last week, with more than 23,000 people losing power due to severe thunderstorms damaging the transmission line that supplies Kalgoorlie-Boulder.

About 10,000 homes across WA’s electricity network were still without power last Friday.

After the widespread power outage, Goldfields and Wheatbelt residents were urged to take immediate steps to stay safe against extreme heat, with a surge in heat-related patients admitted to hospital.

A WA Country Health Service spokesman said there were 20 heat-related presentations at Kalgoorlie Regional Hospital last 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,” she said.

“It will also help reduce pressure on our already busy emergency departments.”

WACHS was working “around the clock” to ensure sites remained operational.

“Our staff are doing an extraordinary job in really difficult circumstances,” the spokeswoman said.

“So far, all impacted sites have remained operational.”

People in areas that were without power were urged to wrap medications that need refrigeration in foil or heat-repellent containers with an icepack to keep them cool.

Opposition Leader Shane Love labelled the WA Government’s response to the extended power and telecommunications outages that have plagued regional areas as an “abject failure”.

Mr Love said the State Government had not done enough to ensure power and communications were resilient and reliable and that it was of “grave concern” that some areas were on their third day of no electricity.