Breaking News Today – Brisbane Without Power and Flooding
With winter power demand at an all-time high, Queensland and NSW are likely to face blackouts this week. The electricity regulator, Aemo, has taken steps to ensure the security of the state’s power grid. On Sunday, it imposed wholesale price caps to control prices for electricity. The move was seen as a reaction to speculation that generators were bidding higher to take advantage of the high international prices of gas and coal. Energy Minister Mick de Brenni has denied price gouging and said the prices were only set to cover costs. He also said that he would not instruct utilities to reduce their bids.
Brisbane was without power on Monday night due to two fires. The first one broke out just before 8 p.m. near 180 West Hill Place. Firefighters quickly found a large area of heavy brush burning. The growth of the fire made it difficult to contain. The firefighters were able to bring the blaze under control by 10 p.m. However, crews were expected to remain on scene overnight to mop up the area.
In addition to causing power outages across the city, flooding has left many areas of Brisbane without electricity. Flooding in south-east Queensland has affected at least 43,000 homes, with some areas still without power. The electricity company says supplies should be restored to some parts of Brisbane by Saturday. In the meantime, supplies should return to some parts of Oxley, Jindalee, Moggill, and River Hills. However, a spokesman for Energex says it will still take weeks to test if supplies are restored in all areas.
The outages are depicted on the map. The shapes and colors on the map indicate the size of the outages. The icons below the map contain details of the outages, including the time it will take to get you back on the power. Some icons also include a contact method, so you can contact the company if you have an issue.
As a precautionary measure, consumers should reduce the amount of electricity they use. During the period of power cuts, it is recommended to only heat one room at a time and turn off pool pumps and electronics on standby mode. Also, retailers should reduce lighting, water heating systems, and advertising displays to conserve electricity. Hopefully, this will mean an end to the power outages in Brisbane this week. So, be prepared to face some inconveniences this week.
On a related note, there are also some serious problems with the government’s handling of Moti’s case. In November 2008, Moti was charged with seven counts of sexual intercourse with a 13-year-old girl outside of Australia. The charges were based on one complainant and occurred in 1997, Vanuatu, and New Caledonia. The case was a low point in the Howard/Downer axis’ foreign affairs policy.
