A power outage in the north-west Victorian city of Mildura is set to enter a third day, raising concerns for the elderly, residents reliant on medical devices and domestic violence survivors.
Power has been out for almost 3,000 residents and businesses since a ute crashed into a critical power pole at nearby Birdwoodton about 6.30am on Monday.
As of Tuesday afternoon, 24 supported accommodation homes run by Sunraysia Residential Services (SRS) were among those without electricity.
SRS CEO Marian Luehman said many affected were elderly or living with a disability, who relied on electricity to power equipment and undertake everyday tasks.
"Prolonged periods without power can be distressing and isolating," she said.
"Uncertainty around restoration timeframes can add further anxiety, particularly for those already facing health or personal challenges."
Ms Luehman said the situation highlighted a need to strengthen emergency response arrangements for vulnerable residents, who needed support accessing generators, alternative accommodation, transport assistance and targeted welfare checks.
An anxious wait for victim-survivor
Sarah, a victim-survivor of domestic violence whose name has been changed to protect her privacy, said the outage had caused anxiety, because it meant her home security cameras were not operating.
"[Previously, the perpetrator] would park across the road. Some nights he would be standing in the shadows of a tree watching my house," Sarah said.
"[The cameras] alert me to any activity around the boundaries of my property and they give me a feeling of safety.
"I spent quite some time not being able to shower or sleep in the dark unless I had someone there to ensure I was safe. The cameras helped me a great deal."
Victoria Police said it was sorry to hear about the impact on a victim of domestic violence, and told "anyone who feels threatened by the presence of someone at their home, or anywhere else for that matter, to call Triple Zero immediately".
Police will not respond to alarms
Mildura police Acting Inspector Daron Hulls urged residents to "remain calm" and "check on [your] neighbours".
Acting Inspector Hulls said Victoria Police had increased patrols around the impacted area, but would not be responding to alarms until power was restored.
"For security, we encourage [residents] to obviously manually lock their doors and their windows, especially if they've got automatic systems in place there," Acting Inspector Hulls said.
"[People] need to be aware of alarms because we won't respond to an alarm or a security system that's been triggered by power failures."
In the case of a break-in, Acting Inspector Hulls said victims would need to contact police and may be required to submit extra evidence.
"We'll have to rely on some other supporting information, such as phone calls or observations," he said.
Outage to last until Wednesday
Powercor spokesperson Jodan Oliver said electricity would likely be restored by Wednesday night, with crews prioritising regular welfare checks for about 130 residents living with life support apparatuses.
He said the outage was an "unusual one".
"The different circuits on that pole, one was very high voltage and we have low voltage as well, which connects people's homes," he said.
"We're checking with customers' properties whether [that high voltage] has entered into people's wiring, switchboards … and potentially caused damage.
"So we're really keen on people to make any reports to us of any damage they notice at their homes and their switchboards, appliances not working."
A relief centre has been set up at the Benetook Room of the Alfred Deakin Centre at the corner of Deakin Avenue and Twelfth Street.
Chargers are available for residents' devices, as well as information from Powercor, Mildura Rural City Council and local police.
