QLD:Yasi victims face month without power

AAP General News (Australia)
02-15-2011
QLD:Yasi victims face month without power

By Petrina Berry

BRISBANE, Feb 15 AAP - Authorities are hoping to restore power to the north Queensland
coastal town of Mission Beach, otherwise known as Cyclone Yasi's ground zero, by the end
of the month.

Chief Superintendent Mike Keating, the head of the Reconstruction Authority in north
Queensland, told reporters on Tuesday that up to 12,000 homes were still without power
since Cyclone Yasi crossed the coast at Mission Beach on February 2.

Supt Keating said the reconnection of power to communities from Innisfail to Townsville
was a priority.

He said many will be without mains power for some time and only some have access to generators.

"There's probably about 10,000 to 12,000 consumers who don't have power and they are
in the more difficult areas to get to - the more remote areas," he said.

"There are challenges with the weather for Ergon workers to get their machinery on the ground."

Cassowary Coast Regional Council Mayor Bill Shannon told reporters he's hoping electricity
will be restored to all homes and businesses at Mission Beach by the end of the month.

Mr Shannon admitted a month is a long time to be without power.

"That's a long while but when you think it took that length of time after Cyclone Larry
- and the devastation was nowhere as great and there (are) far more resources going into
Yasi than Larry - to get the same outcome in terms of time is a pretty good achievement,"

Mr Shannon said.

"Forty-three per cent of the poles are damaged, scores are snapped off and there's
something like 5000 kilometres of wires that need to be restrung."

He said the loss of power was affecting Mission Beach's tourism industry.

Mr Shannon also said the town's jetty was fine but all infrastructure around it had
been blown away.

Water infrastructure is slowly coming back online but many Cassowary Coast communities
are still being asked to boil their water before consuming it.

AAP peb/crh/dep

KEYWORD: RECOVERY MISSION

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