More than 100 Essential Energy employees will converge on Parkes this month to complete a major network maintenance project that will result in power outages for some residents. The 120 field-based employees will work
in Parkes and surrounding communities including Alectown West, Bindogundra, Cooks Myalls, Cookamidgera, Goonumbla, Gunningbland, Nelungaloo and Tichborne. Due to the scale of the project, some households and businesses may experience up to two planned power outages during the project to enable crews to safely access the network. Affected customers will be notified in advance.
Regional manager Northern, Mark Summers, said the crews would work between 8.30am and 4.30pm from Monday, 12th December to Saturday, 17th December. “Crews will complete more than 800 separate maintenance activities to strengthen the local network, including the replacement of 350 cross-arms and 40 power poles,” Mark said. “The work will target potential weaknesses on the power network – such as replacing insulators damaged in storms and ageing power poles. “This is a very large project so we have undertaken significant planning and will be
bringing in extra crews and equipment to limit the number of planned power outages affecting customers,” Mark said.
“We apologise to local households and businesses for any inconvenience caused by the planned power outages.”