Victoria Reels from Storm Aftermath Amid Delayed Compensation Payments

As the storm clears and the debris is swept away, the people of Victoria are still reeling from the devastating impact of the destructive storms that tore through the state just over a week ago. And among the many challenges faced by those affected, one stands out as particularly frustrating: the delayed payment of compensation to households and businesses that lost power for seven long days.

The state government had announced a package of measures to support those affected, including prolonged power outage payments of up to $1,920 a week for households and $2,927 a week for businesses. But as the days tick by, many are still waiting to receive the compensation they were promised. The delay is particularly galling given that power distribution companies, such as AusNet, were responsible for distributing the payments.

According to the state’s energy minister, Lily D’Ambrosio, AusNet has advised that its website application system is still not ready, despite previous assurances that it would be up and running. D’Ambrosio was scathing in her criticism, describing AusNet’s failure to deliver as “absolutely unacceptable” and urging the company to publish an explanation for the delay on its website.

Meanwhile, the state government has commissioned an independent review into the blackout, which disconnected power to 530,000 properties across the state. The review, which is still in its early stages, aims to get to the bottom of what went wrong and how it can be prevented in the future. However, the opposition has expressed skepticism about the review’s scope and ability to scrutinize the government’s role.

As Victorians wait for the power to come back on and for the compensation they were promised, they are also grappling with the reality of a power grid that is increasingly unreliable. The state’s high-voltage electricity transmission system is owned and maintained by AusNet, but it seems that the company has failed to deliver in a time of need.

For the people of Victoria, the storms may have passed, but the aftermath is still very much in process. As they wait for the power to return and for the compensation to arrive, they are left to wonder when the state’s power grid will be reliable and efficient once more.