Blackout Payments Expanded After Second Victorian Storm

The payments, jointly funded by the state and federal governments, were only available to customers without power for at least seven consecutive days.

People look for cover from the hail storm in Melbourne, Australia, on March 6, 2010. Photo by Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images

More Victorians will be able to claim compensation for spending a week without power after a second storm hit the state.

Prolonged power outage payments of $1,920 (US$1,258) a week for households and $2,927 (US$1,917) a week for businesses were rolled out after storms swept through Victoria on Feb. 13, disconnecting electricity to 530,000 properties at one point.

The payments, jointly funded by the state and federal governments, were only available to customers without power for at least seven consecutive days.

About another 5,000 customers lost power on Feb. 22 after high temperatures and strong winds caused further damage to power poles and lines.

In response, eligibility for the payments has been expanded to households without power for seven days cumulatively across both weather events.

“A number of households have been impacted by the power outages and are facing the costs of replacing fridge-loads of food, sometimes more than once,” federal Emergency Management Minister Murray Watt said on Feb. 26.

The payments, capped at up to three weeks, are being metered out by power distribution companies.

AusNet, the main power provider impacted by the recent storms, has started accepting online applications after Victorian Energy Minister Lily D'Ambrosio lashed it over a system delay last week.