BENDIGO’s power supply is getting a royal boost to ensure to the “most vulnerable” people in emergency situations still have power. The energy and resources minister Nicholas Kotsiras officially flicked the switch on the Local Infrastructure Assistance Fund today. Mr Kotsiras attended the Bendigo Health, Tucker Street generator launch with Northern Victoria’s Nationals member Damian Drum noting the significance of the project. “This generator could power the about 40 homes with constant power within ten seconds of the power outage,” Mr Kotsiras said. Mr Kotsiras said Bendigo Health had been granted funding under stage one of the LIAF project. “Anyone can apply for the funding, it’s not government facilities. Grants of up to $200,000 are on offer,” Mr Kotsiras said. “It’s not cheap but worth it. It is important to have value for money.” The $40 million project will provide up to 400 back-up generators to residential care facilities, across the state, who require constant access to power. An additional six facilities in Bendigo have been granted funding, under the next stage, for the generators to assist aged care, disability and mental health facilities. Mr Drum said the generators were a “safeguard against blackouts in the future” to prevent tragedies similar to Black Saturday. “We are conscious to follow every one of the 67 recommendations from the Royal Commission. This is a non nonsense approach from the government,” he said. “We hope we never have to use these things. “Ultimately it’s an insurance policy... But if we do have to use it, the community will be better for it.” The project is part of the Coalition government’s $750 million Powerline Bushfire Safety Program to fund back-up diesel generators in rural Victoria. The program is the result of the 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission recommendation 32 which ensures the people have back up power. Mr Kotsiras said the LIAF will be rolled out across the next ten years with stage two to be completed by December and stage 2a by mid 2014. Bendigo Health director of facilities maintenance Damien Panke said the four month project had been successfully completed in seven weeks. The LIAF program will be rolled out across the next ten years
Posted on: Tue, 01 Oct 2013 05:57:24 +0000
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