TURN ON THE LIGHTS KIAMA

Member for Kiama Gareth Ward has said that he has raised frequent power outages in Kiama and Kiama Downs with Endeavour Energy and has received a favourable result.

“Following written representations I made to Endeavour Energy, I am pleased to report that repairs are underway and will improve network capability and reliability which will benefit our local households and residents in Kiama,” he said.

“My Kiama electorate office has been inundated with enquires and concerns from local residents who have had a gutful of unreliable power.  

“Please continue to let me know about any further power issues you experience. I'll keep advocating for a reliable network for our local Kiama community and I won’t hold back if the promises I’ve received aren’t kept,” Mr Ward said.

“Thank you again to our local Kiama community for raising your concerns with me as your local MP and I’m pleased I’ve been able to raise these concerns with those responsible in an effort to get something done.

Endeavour Energy investigated and found the main reasons were:

• Extreme Weather: Several long outages were caused by storms, like the strong winds on 30th March 2025.
• Faulty Switches: Old, corroded switches on the power lines failed or worked intermittently. This meant power couldn't be rerouted easily during a fault, often making outages affect more people for longer.
• Past Industrial Action (2024): This delayed some regular maintenance needed for network reliability in parts of Minnamurra, Bombo, Kiama Downs, and Kiama.

Endeavour Energy advises they are fixing this:

• Repairs Underway: Crews are working throughout April to replace the faulty switches.
• Network Upgrades: They're also installing new technology to help find faults and restore power much faster in the future.
• Completion Expected: Repairs should be finished by mid-to-late May.