Nationals MP for Clarence, Richie Williamson, is demanding the NSW Premier extend support to businesses and residents in Coraki, Broadwater, Evans Head, Woodburn, and surrounding areas following a major power outage caused by a thunderstorm on Sunday, November 10.

Mr Williamson explained that the storm caused a lightning strike that severely damaged a critical 66kV power pole on Riverbank Road at Pimlico, leading to a blackout lasting over 24 hours and impacting approximately 3,900 customers.

“Essential Energy crews worked around the clock to restore power, and I commend their dedication in quickly addressing the damage and restoring electricity,” Mr Williamson said.

“While Essential Energy has done an incredible job, this unplanned outage has hit local businesses hard, with many losing valuable trading days and stock—a setback they can ill afford as they continue recovering from the 2022 floods.”

In addition to writing to the Premier, Mr Williamson last Tuesday tabled a Notice of Motion in the NSW Parliament formally calling on the government to provide financial assistance for the affected residents and businesses, similar to the recent support provided to those impacted by the Broken Hill outage.

“This situation is very similar to the outage in Broken Hill, and while the duration here was thankfully shorter, the impact on our local economy is significant,” Mr Williamson said.

“I urge the Premier to recognise the unique challenges facing these regional communities in my electorate and to provide the targeted assistance needed to help them get back on track.”